The Lives of the World's Greatest Superheroes
by Dylboyslim
Summary: AU expansive multi couple story. Superman takes the city and Lois' heart by storm while clumsy Clark hides his identity at the Planet. The arrival of Kara, Lex and Metallo complicate things further. Meanwhile, Chlollie begins in unconventional ways leading for an interesting relationship between Chloe, Oliver, WatchTower and Green Arrow. Plenty to come.
1. Chapter 1

_Saturday._

"Apartment 38," Clark Kent said, pointing the removal man toward the direction of the stairs. Martha Kent stepped out from the back of the truck clutching a box in her hands,

"I can't believe after 22 years, you are finally moving out. I'm proud of you Clark."

Clark turned and took the box from her, "thanks Mum. I'm looking forward to living on my own, although I will miss you. Luckily the farm only a blink of an eye away from Metropolis."

"In more ways than one," Martha smiled, following Clark up the stairs, another box in hand. "Is Chloe coming over soon? I haven't seen her in such a long time."

"Yeah, what with being head of the Politics section of the Daily Planet, it does make her a very busy woman. However, she will be dropping in later to help with the unpacking process." Clark let the both into the flat and looked around at his new residence. The door opened out straight into a little hallway that contained cupboards on one side, _very useful for costume storage._ It then opened out into the living space and kitchen, which was separated by a breakfast bar. Through the kitchen was a bathroom and a bedroom that over looked a small square that had a park in the centre. Through the bedroom window, the globe atop the Daily Planet could be seen, the rest of the building being blocked by the five blocks that separated Clark from his new workplace. At $1000 a month, the place was a steal.

Setting down the box on the breakfast bar, Clark took out an IPod dock and plugged it in to the socket on the wall. He placed his IPod in position and flicked through his artists before setting on _The Hazards of Love__ by The Decemberists. _Even a superhero cannot go without his music. Smiling he walked over to his mother and pulled her away from the box that she was unpacking in the kitchen. He spun her into him and danced softly with her. Martha looked up at her son as he towered over her and let herself relax into a twirl and reverse. _There's so much of Jonathon in him. _She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away gently, "We're never going to get this unpacking done with all this dancing." Boxes were already piling up as the removal men passively dropped the into the room,

"That's why I'm here Mrs Kent," grinned Chloe as she peeked her head around the corner of the hallway. Stepping out, satchel swinging from hip to hip and her golden mop bounced causing a casual curl to drop onto her face, she embraced Martha tightly.

"Chloe it's so nice to see you. I hear you've got yourself a little team of men to boss around now?"

"Yes, working at the Planet is great and keeping me occupied, but I did manage to clear my schedule for a couple of hours to help you out." She released Martha and hugged Clark quickly. "Although I'm not sure why you can't just do your whole speedy thing and have this all sorted in a minute," she said punching him lightly on the arm.

"Half the fun is unpacking, and I think I need a woman's touch on the place," he smirked, smoothing out his plaid shirt. Chloe picked up a box marked **Clothes **and moved into the bedroom. Clark had already super-sped his bed and wardrobe in there, along with the sofa and TV into the living room.

"I know the fact that you like plaid shirts just like I know that the Earth orbits around the Sun, but this is ridiculous. I didn't even know this much of the stuff existed!" Chloe laughed hanging up another piece in the wardrobe.

"I swear it's the only thing that looks good on me." Clark protested.

"We both know that's not true, I can vouch for the fact that you look good in a tux."

"Thanks, I'm gonna have to go suit shopping anyway, the bullpen doesn't exactly follow the same dress code as the farm" Clark chuckled, as he finished hanging a picture on the wall.

"That'll be something I want to see!" Chloe exclaimed, pulling out a pair of boxer-briefs before quickly dropping them, blushing "that I did not."

"I'll take that," Clark mumbled, also blushing. Suddenly he stood even more upright then he usually did. Chloe recognised the look on his face and knew what he was going to say before he even thought it. "Sorry but there's a car chase occurring and I think it's time for Superman's debut save."

"You go Man of Steel, we'll hold up the fortress," reassured Martha stepping into the room as Chloe gestured towards the door. Both women received a face full of hair as the young man sped to the scene.

Clark focused his hearing as he sped along 51st street and figuring out he could reach the crook's car before it got to Broadway. Suddenly he turned and stopped, grabbing a little girl as she stepped into the road, saving her from imminent death. He returned to normal speed and placed the child in her mother's arms almost before she realised what was happening. "Thank god, Alice always stay by me!" She cried and looked up "Who are you?"

"Just your friendly neighborhood Superman," he stated boldly before speeding off. _Damn, I shouldn't have watched Spider-Man last night._

Superman weaved through the Saturday afternoon traffic towards the chase as the car rounded the corner further up the block. Looking up, Superman pushed forward, wind screaming in his ears. The crooks' eyes widened as his car was lifted into the air and carried backwards by a blur that morphed into a man. They panicked as they soared tens of storeys high above the ground as their carrier jumped up towards a crane. Superman carefully placed the vehicle on the suspended steel girders and melted the tyres with heat vision so that they burst and the metal rims stuck firmly on the surface. Before the man of steel left, he burned the shield of El onto the bonnet, leaving the citizens of Metropolis staring up in wonder at the sight.

Clark bustled through his apartment door, having changed on the roof and placed his glasses back on his head. Looking around he saw the unpacking process was about 90% done. Chloe laughed as she walking into the room, a polyester packing noodle stuck on her blouse. "Hey Clark, nice save. Every news station is asking who the mysterious man in tights is,"

"Very original, Chloe," smiled Clark "I can see you didn't really need my help at all did you?"

"I think you just invited us here so you didn't have to do it yourself! But on that note, I'm needed back at the office, well the town hall really," Chloe said making her way to the door past Clark.

"Oh yeah? What's happening?" Clark turned, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder, pivoting her around and carefully picking off the polyester.

"Thanks, wouldn't want that making me look unprofessional in front of Bruce Wayne..."

**Author's note: Firstly, thank you for reading! Even if you don't wait for the next bit I appreciate you using your valuable time. Hoping to update this every week but definitely not a solid promise. A-levels are so much work that it may be tricky. I have written the next 5000 words so I'll be able to keep it up over a coupla' weeks at least. **

**Anyway, as you can tell, Batman is on his way along with several characters from the series as I am a massive DC fan. Lots of action with Superman and the Justice League to come, along with lots of romance namely: Clark and Lois; Chloe and Oliver; Bruce and Selina Kyle and Kara and AC to look forward to. **

**Thanks again!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chloe's VW Golf swung around the corner as (The Angels Wanna wear my) Red Shoes by Elvis Costello poured out the stereo. The town hall and all its offices loomed above her. Being positioned in the centre of the city and the state, it was the main place for politics and had become Chloe's second home. She didn't even have to flash her I.D. as she drove through the private access car park that was specifically made for politics and press. Opening the car door, Chloe pulled out her mobile phone and dialed:

"Hi Chloe I'm in position," answered Jimmy Olsen nervously. It had been 3 long years since Chloe had had a summer affair with the photographer during her internship at the Planet but he still sounded uneasy around her. She certainly didn't have any regrets about losing her virginity to a man who she knew cared about her. Chloe suspected that he was still strongly into her, something that she had never reciprocated to the same level. He had just been there at the right time, just after Clark had begun dating Lana Lang.

"Good Olsen, we need the best shot of Wayne," Chloe ordered, smiling at how uncomfortable she made him. It was a guilty pleasure of hers.

"Where are you? The conference starts in 15 mins." Jimmy muttered as the background noise grew louder as the room filled up.

"On my way," Chloe muttered, rushing through security without questioning. After turning a corner she approached the lift and jammed the button. Tapping her foot, typically impatient for her, she gave up and made for the stairs after seeing that the lift was going up before coming back down. Jumping two steps at a time, Chloe discussed what her two-man team already knew about the situation.

"So Wayne Biometrics is finally repairing the broken medical system that rules over Metropolis,"

"Yeah, err and building three new hospitals across the state within the next 6 months, most notably in Suicide Slums."

"That'll be a point to bring up, not sure why Bruce Wayne had to break from bedding supermodels to grace us with his presence..."

Jimmy interrupted: "Chloe you need to get in here right..."

"Now?" Chloe stated, cutting him off as she sneaked in through the doors at the last minute, leaving her stood in the darkness at the back of the room. "Just get those shots Jimmy and I'll do the rest," she ordered, hanging up before he could reply. She saw him turn around in his seat and scowl at her, childishly. His look softened quickly however, as he stared at the woman he loved pulling a notepad and pen out of her bag before fixing her hair behind her eyes and nibbling on her lower lip out of habit. She was adorable. He snapped out of his lustful trance and the announcer stepped on the stage and introduced the multi-billionaire.

Bruce Wayne inhaled and exhaled. He was dressed to impress in a Dolce and Gabbana suit, which could barely contain his muscular frame. His mother's blue eyes sparkled and his publicity grin pulled his sharp cheekbones upwards. He stepped out from the right of the stage waving casually to the reporters applauding below him. He pulled up to the podium and straightedge his hairline, which immediately fell back onto his forehead. The playboy swagger was in full swing:

"Good afternoon Metropolis, sorry to interrupt your weekends with this conference." His calculating eyes swept across the crowd, looking for threats. He eyed a particular blonde towards the back of the room, tracking the curves of her body up and down. _Got to keep the bachelor appearance going Bruce._ "Today marks the start of a new age of medicine for this grand city. By opening 3 new hosp..."

"Why are you really here Mr. Wayne? We all know that the only thing that you care about is booze and babes, why grace us with your presence?" Chloe interrupted, wanting blood for his crude behaviour, which she had taken notice of immediately.

Bruce chuckled, "Good afternoon to you too, Ms Sullivan. I am here to show that Wayne Enterprises truly means business in Metropolis."

"Which means you'll bleed our city dry, with complicated medical bills that will over charge the poor?" Chloe retorted as the room shuffled in anticipation. Chloe Sullivan was getting fully into her stride.

"No not at all, actually this wasn't how I planned to reveal my big surprise but now is as good time as any. I'm proud to announce that Wayne Biometrics will be collaborating with the infamous Queen to fund this programme. In fact here's the golden boy himself to tell you all about it," Wayne gestured to his left. A collective gasp of surprise travelled around the room as Oliver Queen stepped boldly onto the stage. With blond hair shining he took Bruce's place at the podium and grinned. Somehow maintaining an air of casualness, he looked the business also dressed in a 3 piece. His emerald eyes sparkled as he put his hands on each side of the podium and looked directly at the Daily Planet's Star Reporter.

"It's true. Queen industries will run the hospitals from a day-to-day basis, while Wayne Enterprises funds our care programme. All treatments from the ER will be paid for by our companies, leaving the injured only worrying about their recovery physically, rather than financially." The audience laughed and clapped. While Oliver had been addressing the whole crowd throughout his little speech, at the last sentence he had returned his attention to the intrepid reporter that Bruce Wayne had called Sullivan. Eye contact with Queen had made Chloe smile. _Crap, don't smile that's so unprofessional! Doesn't matter how cute he is. _Oliver smirked to himself as he watched her cover her mouth. _Ms Sullivan had a nice ring to it..._

On the top floor of Lex Corp. in a calculating cold office, Lex Luthor turned off the T.V. and spun around in his chair. So much had changed in the last 12 hours. Suddenly his grip on reality and the world had slipped. People could be hung from cranes now? They could get treated for whiplash at a hospital funded by Bruce Wayne of all people, supported by Oliver Queen!? _Yes things had definitely changed._

He had to meet this "Superman." To have that kind of power and ability must be god like. The potential of that god... Lex cracked his glass, gripping onto it with excitement and desire, it had driven him to **seize**. Throwing the glass aside, causing it to shatter, Lex turned and stood by the panoramic window. This would take time. He would have to find out as much as he could about this new "hero." Or vigilante? Or threat? Lex didn't care; he just wanted to know more. He stepped back to his oak desk and grabbed his phone on his desk before raising it to his ear. Before he had even placed his finger on the dial, the doors to his office opened. Only two people had that kind of access- himself and...

Lana Lang strode into the room. She had changed dramatically from the girl next door that Clark Kent had fallen in love with. She walked with purpose, unlike the care free attitude she held before and her posture indicated this also. Her face seemed sharper for she had styled her hair up, held with a pencil and leaving strands trailing down, framing her face. She had long ago abandoned her necklace, it was ridiculous to hold onto the past (a policy only adopted recently). Clothed in a sophisticated dress, she had become a stone cold businesswoman, being carried forward by support from Lex. He had given her so much, but without her knowing, had taken so much more.

Looking at the glass shards on the floor, Lana looked up and placed her arms around Lex. "I see you've seen the reports on Superman. He would make a great asset," she calculated. _She understands me, that's why I must make her mine. _Lex placed a kiss on Lana's lips, quick and smooth. Their affection was spoken for. He took her hands and led her over to the window. She shifted so that she was under his right arm, his right hand man. He placed his free hand onto the glass, tracing the skyline with his fingertips.

"Yes," placing great emphasis on the word, "an immense force to support my campaign."

"And a giant step to insure my place as First Lady Lana Lang," smiled the girl, turning to face him again. They laughed and became wrapped together in tight embrace as the sun went down behind them. Nothing from this Earth could stop them.

**Author's note: Thanks to those who've read my story so far and to those that have reviewed and followed, I am very grateful. Whenever I read an author asking for reviews, I never really got why. But now I see it's nice to hear feedback on all your hard work. I've pledged to myself to review a lot more from now on.**

**Rambling aside, I decided to post this because I realised that would would never be able to keep up to schedule if I posted on Saturdays. Instead of waiting an extra week and a day, I decided to post another chapter today. Thanks again for taking the time to read!**


	3. Chapter 3

Lois Lane sat in front of her laptop, resting on a desk at the Daily Planet. Three takeaway coffee cups lay around there as the clock ticked slowly into the very early hours of the morning. The brunette vixen was finishing up a story about the supposed fall in crime rates in Metropolis were not only exaggerated but totally fake. Even the cities cops could be corrupted. Lois attached the story to an email and sent it off to Perry White. It was certain to grant her a byline and a much needed boost to her career. Lois was more than ready to go home. Grabbing one of the empty coffee cups and tipping it 180 into her mouth, she struggled through the dregs needed to get her home. Looking at the empty desk that adjoined to hers, she hoped her new partner was going to be at least capable. _Its not like I need one, it would just make things so much easier. _Her last partner had left the building crying and swearing he would never return to Metropolis again. So what if he hadn't been able to cope? Lois had got this far through her own principles- she certainly wasn't going to give them up now.

Grabbing her bag, Lois walked towards the exit and turned off the lights without looking back. The doors would lock automatically after the last employee left and what with it being 3 in the morning, she was fairly sure that she was leaving alone. The streets were barren as Lois took a right, staring the ten-block walk to her apartment. Suddenly three police cars flew past, sirens blaring. Lois looked up sharply as something had caught her attention. It was as though something had been chasing after the cars, a blur. She pressed her fingers to her eyes and crossed the road. As she carried on walking she heard the wails of police cars stop suddenly and two minutes later, two blocks further up, she saw the same three vehicles driving past her, all containing crooks sat and cuffed in the back. _That seemed a little quick._

Lois turned into the most dreaded part of her journey: the dark alley the lead to her street that housed her apartment. Sure she could go around the longer, safer route but the weary woman was desperate to climb into bed. Halfway down, Lois span around for the sound of a bottle smashing above her head on the wall had reached her ears. A rugged man stood over her, holding the newly broken glass under her petite chin, "Give me the bag," he demanded, hissing. Lois backed up a tad as gasped for the glass had cut a line from the top of her throat to the bottom of her face, along the underside of her head. The man lunged forward and grabbed for the bag and Lois screamed and dodged the weapon as it scraped against her cheek painfully. Blood trickled down her face. Bag in hand, the thief started to run before he was thrown 20 ft into the air where he landed into a dumpster, crumpling the lid and his head dropped down into his chest, unconscious. Lois tracked the man's flight with her eyes, her mouth a perfect "O." She span back around to find a man holding out her handbag at arms leg, implying she take it. Instead she took in the sight that stood before her.

A sharp jaw-line and cheekbones defined the man's face. His irises were of the lightest blue, amazingly soft. His smile gleamed through the gloomy night and caused her mind to go wobbly. The tight super-suit (if that was what she was going to call it) was blue and red with a bold "S" on the chest and displayed the man's impressing muscular structure. His six pack almost tearing out from underneath the material. His bulge was not evident, much to Lois' dismay and she carried on eying the epitome of masculinity. His hair was the darkest black and styled handsomely, a windblown quiff of perfection. This man had been her hero, and in her eyes he was super.

"Your bag ma'am," he gestured finally, after a good ten seconds. Lois blushed, something she never did and took the bag, looking down shy.

"Thank you," she managed meekly.

"May I inquire as to why you are out here at such a late hour?" asked the hero stepping towards her.

"Who are you?" Lois asked, ignoring his previous question, back to her former self.

"People are calling me 'Superman.' I like it. Rolls nicely off the tongue," he smiled at his joke.

_There was that smile again._ "Oh. I'm Lois Lane, reporter for the Daily Planet." She held out her hand. He took it firmly, yet gentle at the same time, and shook it. "Pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," he said looking up from her hand into her eyes. _Deep brown._ He gave her another grin, "stay right here, and don't move." And just like that he was gone. Lois stood dumbfounded. She didn't take orders from anyone, but now she was rooted the spot. _Where'd he go so…_

She never got to finish her thought as Superman reappeared out of a blur again. He had been gone all of two seconds but he had returned with a coat and cup of hot chocolate in hand. He wrapped the coat around her, "Sorry, just before we go." He looked at the wall and Lois noticed he seemed to squint. Suddenly the brick was alight for a brief moment. After a few seconds, Lois recognised the insignia on scorched onto the surface. It was the same symbol that was spread across Superman's chest. They left it smoking and they rounded the corner onto the block lit by street -lamps.

"Ok, where do you live?" asked Superman looking deep into her eyes.

Lois blinked, "A little bit forward aren't you? If you thought you were going to get lucky just because you saved me, you have…" She was stopped in her tracks as he placed a single finger on her lips.

"Lois, I just want to make sure you get home safely." He grinned, as though amused by her conclusions.

"Ok… it's just up the road, apartment 21B of Baker's Apartments," Lois pointed up the road.

"Hold on tight then," he turned around stopping them and gripped her arms and looked into her eyes, penetrating into her pupils. She grabbed hold of his frame, clinging tightly. All trust placed into the stranger who seems as though she had known him her whole life. Suddenly she was outside her door. Lois had barely closed her eyelids. But now she was alone, he had gone leaving her standing in the hallway, a slight burning smell reaching her lips. She glanced at her door and did a double take. Burnt into the threshold were the words:

**Come to 49****th**** street cornered with 3****rd**** avenues' phone booth at 7 tomorrow. "S"**

Kara Zor-El sat down at a large table in a seedy underground bar, located in the City of Coly, Mars. Martians had a keen interest in their earthly neighbors and bars such as the one the blonde found herself in now were common around the red planet. This was meant to be a saloon bar from the Wild West, Kara understood (she had never been to Earth). Ever since the crushing depression of 45,920AD by Aliirsuk's Concept (otherwise known as 1990AD on Planet Earth), places such as this slowly wore away until they became dirty shells of their previous selves. Now they resorted to gambling and other illegal activities in backrooms to attract customers and their valued credits. Seven other aliens surrounded her, making their versions of what would be angry encouragement towards the centre of the surface. For eight little crab-like creatures were battling it out for their lives, and their owners' money. These cretins roamed the dust covered planet in as high number as pigeons did on Earth and while most were ignored or killed as pests, somewhere used as gladiators. A successful crab could earn a lot of money and fame, highlighting the emptiness that filled and antithetically emptied Mars' society nowadays.

The last round had just ended and most of the aliens sat around the table were broke already, betting their next paycheck before they had even earned it. Reaching down into her satchel, grasped hold of her crab and placed it on the table. It had been secretly enhanced by Kryptonian technology, illegal on Mars but Kara was relying on the fact that her planet had been declared dead for a decade and no one would notice. She then gave the others a devious, sexy grin and put 1000 credits on the table. A ripple of shock went around the table and drew the attention of the whole bar to the blonde. The other aliens looked around nervously, before one of them placed all his money on the surface, quickly followed by the others. An event like this was rare and suddenly everyone's attention was on them.

The crabs were circling each other, sizing one and another up. All the other critters were beaten up and battle hardy, whereas Kara's seemed untouched. It also was the smallest. But as Kara knew all too well, the unexpected are always the strongest. There was a loud crack as a rock slab met the surface signaling the start. Even the crabs sensed the importance of the situation as the circled for only brief moments more before piling in on Kara's crab. Its claw swung up and held one of them at bay, which simultaneously blocked another. That crab then found itself being crawled on and before it could even defend itself, it's neck was snapped. (((One down, six to go.))) Kara's crab was flipped over abruptly as three of the others seemed to work together. One of them raised its claw while the other two held down Kara's crab's arms clumsily. The pincer came crashing down and the crowd went wild. Kara's crab in an amazing show of strength and skill, brought together its claws easily, causing the two crabs holding it down to lose their heads as the attacking pincer sliced through the weak tissue holding them to their bodies. Catching the claw in its own pincers, Kara's crab twisted and broke the bone and kicked the other crab hard, sending it flying into the wall, snapping its spine. The crowd was jumping now, showering the table with credits, placing their bets on the crab that had now overcome four other critters. One of the other crabs turned to another stood next to it and savagely tore off its eye while it was undefended. Blood shot out of the injured crabs head as it run around blindly. Kara's crabs stormed forward and sliced its weapon through another crab's legs on one side. It swung back the same claw to whip the crippled crab onto its back with its neck broken. Then it reared around to the remaining critter. After witnessing what had just occurred, the remaining crab fled and climbed off the table. The rodents were normally know for their bravery even in the face of death and this was the first time one had abandoned a fight. The rabble of spectators broke out into a frenzy.

Kara super sped her way around the table and bar, collecting all the credits that lay on the surfaces. Then she stopped and smiled her mischievous, sexy grin. Seeing that all of their money had gone missing, the crowd exploded. Punches were thrown and weapons fired as Kara calmly turned around and walked towards the exit. She stepped over a body and turned back toward the violence. A fire had broken out (which was strictly forbidden on Mars as they feared being discovered by a certain blue and green planet.) and she could already hear the authorities on their way. And to the sound of several cries of battle, the blonde super sped away. _It was time to see a certain cousin…_

_Sunday._

Clark stepped out of the shower, toweling his hair. He could have super sped into the Atlantic, washed off and then dried in the Sahara Desert within seconds but having a shower was relaxing and reminded him that he lived in a human world. _Something I occasionally need reminding of. _The T.V. was on in the background and Clark stopped a moment to listen: "Many reports have come flying in about a vigilante protecting the citizens of Metropolis. The man is said to be dressed in red and blue, he calls himself 'Superman.' The Mayor and the Pentagon have released a joint statement assuring citizens that…" Clark stopped listening to Vicky Vale and turned to head back into his room. Suddenly his front door burst open as Chloe strode in headstrong.

"Clark? Have you seen the headlines this morning? Oh!" Chloe stopped in her tracks as she caught sight of the shirtless Kryptonian. Milking the view of his beautifully sculpted chest, she mentally slapped herself. Chloe had long buried her feelings for her best friend and had moved on. However, this display of masculinity certainly made it harder. _If only every man had the torso of Clark Kent…_

The blonde quickly placed a hand over her eyes and laughed nervously as Clark super sped into his room and returned fully dressed. "Sorry about that," he blushed, looking down.

"Don't worry about it, nothing I haven't seen before," Chloe quipped cheekily, punching his arm. Clark's mouth dropped open and he shook his head as his red face turned more crimson. _He's such a prude. _"So are we going suit shopping or not?"

Five minutes later, the pair were in Chloe's car driving to the shopping centre as _Tighten Up by The Black Keys_ played from the radio. Clark sat amazed at the amount of rubbish and coffee cups that littered the interior. For such a tidy mind, Chloe was a messy girl. "So what are we going for then?"

"A suit and essentials. Oh and a pair of glasses," Clark added, leaning as the Golf swung around the tight corner, entering the multi-storey car park.

"Glasses?! I thought you had perfect 20/20 vision? Even better than that if I remember correctly," Chloe exclaimed from outside the car, reaching to get a ticket through her window.

"That's true, but if I'm going to expose myself in the role of Superman, I need to use Clark Kent as a disguise in the bullpen," Clark mentioned, pointing out a spot. Chloe focused on swinging the hatchback into the space before getting out and answering:

"So how's that going to work then?" Chloe asked as they made their stepped into the lift. Before Clark could answer, he noticed that the lift contained others who were unaware of his dual-identity. They rode down in uncomfortable silence before emerging back out into the sunlight where he answered.

"I figured if I was going to start saving people, I would use my face and name as a symbol to others to give them hope. However, people would instantly put two and two together if I carried on being Clark Kent. So I'm going to change, I'll wear glasses and act less confident. I'll become clumsy, because surely that can't be a trait of a superhero right?"

"That's excellent Clark. I've always pictured you the cute, awkward nerd," laughed Chloe as they turned into the suit shop.

"Hi there, welcome to All American Tailors, can I help you?" Said a young shopping assistant, rushing forward to aid the pair. Her eyes never left Clark.

"Err, yes thank you," said Chloe loudly, interrupting the woman's gazing by leaning over and waving her hand to get herself noticed. "My friend Clark here needs a new wardrobe."

"We'll I'll be more than glad to help you sir," she smiled.

"I'm sure you will be," Chloe muttered under her breath, following the pair further into the shop. Clark had learned upon asking that the assistant's name was Sarah before he purposely tripped over a display stand, sending the whole thing flying. After a brief shower of ties and shirts, Clark was sat on his behind looking up apologetically at Sarah.

"I'm so sorry, need to watch wear I'm walking," he rambled as he started to pick up expensive items of clothing.

"Don't worry about it, I'll tidy this up, you go prepare to be measured up," Sarah gushed, taking the clothes off of him.

"Nice start Clark, very clumsy," Chloe joked lightly and quietly so only Clark could hear from behind the changing room curtain. Clark smiled as he emerged only in his boxers and stood on the podium. Chloe, for the second time that day found herself struggling to look attire young man's face. Sarah had already failed and rushed forward with the measuring tape eagerly. Clark blushed as she wrapped her fingers around the top of his thigh.

"Are you sure you shouldn't start at the chest Sarah?" He just about managed to squeeze out of his mouth, his hand raking through his hair awkwardly.

"Looks standard procedure to me," Chloe smirked, enjoying his discomfort.

"Yes, it is..." Sarah trailed as she made her way up to his torso, sizing up Clark's six-pack. _Does she have to be so obvious?_ "So why the new wardrobes, mister..?"

"Kent. I start at the Daily Planet tomorrow actually."

"Oh really? Good looking and in worthy employment, maybe we can meet for a coffee tonight and you can tell me all about it?" Sarah asked looking straight into Clark's baby blues. Both Clark and Chloe's mouths dropped open at her boldness. _Turns out that, yes, she can be more obvious._ Clark somehow managed to look even more uncomfortable. "Maybe around seven?" Sarah tried again.

"Um, I'm sorry but I have a phone call then," Clark stumbled.

"A phone call?"

"An interview! An Exclusive interview!" Clark exclaimed. _You'd think after all the years of practice, I would have got better at this excuses thing._

"With who?" Inquired Chloe, her interest piqued. It had taken her months to get an interview at the Planet.

"It's a secret. Sorry Sarah," Clark said apologetically to the downcast woman. Chloe's bag vibrated next to her and the blonde dove into it to retrieve her mobile. The caller I.D. revealed her caller to be Lois and Chloe made her excuses quickly before getting up and leaving a very awkward Clark Kent with a disheartened assistant.

"Where the hell are you Chloe?" Lois yelled down the line, causing Chloe to remove the handset from her ear.

"Out shopping, why Lois?" Chloe said, ears ringing.

"I have the biggest news ever and I've been trying to find you all day, at the Planet, at your apartment…" Lois rambled.

"Why didn't you just call me then?" Chloe cut her off.

"I wanted to tell you in person, it's that big."

"Oh ok, I can swing by your apartment in…"

"I met Superman!" Lois interrupted. Chloe could almost see the brunette glowing with excitement. She fell over her next words.

"Err, what, do you mean? You met Superman?"

"I mean he **saved** me and I've got a date with him tonight!"

"What? How? Are you ok?" Chloe exclaimed, looking angrily at Clark as he stepped out of the changing rooms again and made his way over to the till. Chloe vaguely listened to Lois as she told the story dramatically. _If I had heat vision, Clark would be a toasted marsh-mellow right now. _"OK, ok," Chloe barged into Lois' monologue, "I'll come over later and you can tell me everything. Ok bye!" Chloe rushed to hang up and turn off her phone. She knew that she had royally pissed off Lois and would probably pay for it but she needed to talk to Clark **now**. Clark had just finished paying with his card and picking up his things when Chloe stormed over and reached up the grab onto his arm tightly to drag him away. It would have hurt him if he weren't the man of steel.

"Chloe?" he questioned, "Ok, ok thank you goodbye Sarah," he just about squeezed out as he was hauled away by the blonde. The assistant stared longingly after him.

"What the hell Clark?" Chloe asked, raising her hands.

"What are you talking abo…?"

"Lois and **Superman**?" Chloe continued, "What were you thinking?"

"Lois Lane? How do you..?" Clark faltered.

"She's my cousin Clark, how on Earth could you forget that? She lived with you for over three years!" Chloe shouted and turned around and begun walking toward Spec Savers.

"What, **that** Lois from last night is your cousin? Wow, she's changed, I didn't even recognise her," Clark mused as he followed and they entered the shop.

Chloe brushed past the assistant without a word and Clark apologized to him. "Didn't recognise her? Do you think I'm stupid?" Chloe continued through the shop.

"It has been a good five years since I last saw her. She didn't recognise me either," Clark defended himself as he walked through the aisles, looking at the various different spectacles. Chloe turned sharply and shot him a look and scared Clark.

"You got so lucky! Do you have any idea what may have happened if she had figured you out? It was your first night on the job! Hardly a good way to start," Chloe shouted, raising her arms aloft. The pair were starting to attract attention from the other shoppers in the store.

"That's why I have to hide behind a bumbling Clark Kent," Clark said, reaching blindly to his left for the first set of glasses that he touched and slipped them on his face. They were a classic, black and thick-rimmed pair. Chloe smiled and Clark let out a sigh of relief. _Thank god she can't stay mad at me for long._

"Those are definitely the ones," Chloe grinned, "let's just buy them already. But we are so not done with this."

Clark's eyes glazed over and he tilted his head like a dog for a moment. "Actually, someone's robbing the bank just outside of here. Pay for these would ya'?" Clark said as he beamed his Kent 1000 watt, twenty molar grin at the blonde. Then Chloe struggled to catch the frames as they dropped out the air while her face took a face full of air.

**Author's Note: Thanks again for reading! And to anyone who wrote a review or followed or ****faced, thank you. So I know I said I'll publish on Sunday but I'm moving house and I won't have internet for three weeks. I'm going to have to learn to talk to people in the flesh again! Haha. So this is basically everything I've written so far but whenever I can I'll publish the next bits. No promises or anything though. **

**Shout out to the USA for being well over half of my viewership and the reader from ****Federated States of Micronesia, a place I had no knowledge of before! **Once again thanks for reading and cheers for the reviews and follows.


	4. Chapter 4

Having already changed into his costume faster than the speed of sound, Clark sped to the Bank of America, which was currently the subject of a heist. He rushed to disarm three of the thugs holding civilians hostage in the front lobby and knocked them out with a quick, light flick to the temple. Then Superman cut a hole through the glass with his heat vision for the alarms had sealed him in and ferried the victims outside to the teams of paramedics that had arrived on the scene, carefully running slightly slower than usual so not to cause the passengers to lose their lunches. As he sped back inside and x-rayed the building looking for the other two henchmen, Superman heard that he had failed on preventing some people from sickness. _Oops, I'll have to work on that._

The Man of Steel zoomed toward the back room and stopped to assess the situation. One of the crooks was using a massive drill to plough through the vault door while the other had a young woman in a choke hold with a Magnum held against her head. Sparks flew everywhere. Superman stepped forward but the hostage-taker straightened and tightened his grip.

"Stay back tights," he shouted. _How original. _"Don't move because I heard that brains are not machine washable," the man laughed and threw his head back. Next thing he knew he was engulfed in black as a muscular frame dropped on him. The gun flew aside as the caped stranger floored the criminal with a right hook that instantly broke the jaw. Superman winced at the sound, needing no extra abilities to deduce the extent of the injury. The driller turned at the sound and tried to back up as the masked man brought back his bladed arm across his head, cutting his temple deeply, causing him to slam against the steel vault. He slumped down unconscious. The other hero stood and looked around making sure that there were no more threats before standing up and booting the crook with the broken jaw across the back of the head so that he joined his colleague in unconsciousness. Finally he looked up and stared at the man in blue and red. Before he could say anything, the Man of Steel sped down and put the thugs in the recovery position and was standing before him again. Then he set about burning his shield into the steel of the vault.

"Who are you?" came the low, dark, gruff voice.

"Superman. May I suggest we move to a better location?" The superhero smiled for his super-hearing had let him know that Swat teams were moving in the clear the building. "I'll see you on the Daily Planet," he mentioned before leaving a gust of wind behind him.

The Caped Crusader turned, took up the woman on the floor (who had seemingly passed out and run through the door before firing off a grapple hook through the same second floor window that he had previously entered through. Once he had safely reached the rooftop of an adjacent building he put his hand to his ear: "Alfred."

"Yes Master Bruce?" said a soft gentle, expectant and British voice on the other side of the comm.

"I need you to research a vigilante of the name: 'Superman,'" he continued, eying the cops that swarmed into the bank.

"Yes sir, I'll let you know what I find."

"Thank you Alfred," finished The Dark Knight, tapping the earpiece again. He turned to look at the woman in his arms before dropping down into the alley below. He pressed a button on his utility belt and the Batmobile came out of its invisible cloak. _Fox needs another raise. _Batman placed the brunette into the passenger seat before clipping himself behind the wheel. He moved his head to face her as he pulled out, "Oh, Selina Kyle. What am I going to do with you?"

A few minutes later the girl opened one of her eyes gingerly and smiled as she watched the Dark Knight focus on his driving. _This is going to be fun._

xxxXxxx

Chloe pulled up her Golf just outside the apartment block where she lived with Lois and turned off her engine just as_ Lonely Boy by The Black Keys_ faded out. She stepped out and pushed the door shut before locking her car and entering the building. Not bothering to wait for the lift, she made her way up the stairs slowly, carrying the bags that Clark had left with her on either side of her. He hadn't come back for her after his stint at the bank but then again Chloe hadn't of expected him to either. Early reports seemed to indicate that he wasn't alone making this save. Witnesses had claimed to have seen the Batman, Gotham's Caped Crusader, leaving the scene with a socialite named Selina Kyle. Personally, because of how tired she was, Chloe was glad that this wasn't her area of reporting anymore. She could relax and maybe watch a movie with a plot that didn't really need to be followed. As she placed her key into the door she froze- Lois had just cursed loudly from inside. _So much for a relaxing evening then._

Bracing herself, the blonde pushed her way through the door and stood to accept the yelling that she was bound to get with her eyes closed. When a few moments went past, Chloe opened her eyes slowly and took in her surroundings. This never happened, Lois was normally hot on the case when it came to dealing with people that had pissed her off. Instead her apartment seemed to have been turned upside down or a bomb made entirely of clothes had exploded in her living room. A bra hung from the ceiling light, a dress over the T.V. and there was a pair of lacy underwear hanging off the fridge door. Finally, the intrepid report emerged herself, dressed only in a matching pair of red undergarments that Chloe knew were her best and saved only for "adult" occasions.

"Hi Chloe have you seen my stockings? And those diamond earrings? And those sexy black heels?" Lois sped out, not taking a breath between her questions nor looking at her cousin as she strode past.

Chloe looked at her watch before answering, "what's this in occasion for Lo'?" Her eyebrow raised, feigning ignorance. She walked further into the living space and dumped Clark's bags on the sofa.

"Superman." Lois had stopped dead and looked straight at Chloe as though she had gone crazy.

"Oh yeah, your 'date,'" Chloe mocked, mimicking speech marks with her fingers while grinning lightly.

"Oh, it is so a date. Have you you ever heard of a man burning an invitation into a door for a brief chat?" Lois rambled as though she was talking about a normal subject like the weather. She walked back into her room.

"He what?!" Exclaimed Chloe as she made for the door and opened it. _Someone get me some Kyptonite, I am going to kill Clark._

"Isn't it romantic?" Lois stepped back outside her room, dressed now in a tight red dress.

The neckline was low enough to be seductive but not too much. Other than that, the brunette wore stockings; a light gold necklace; diamond earrings and black heels. She was dressed to impress and was easily achieving this. Lois could have been a contender for most desirable woman on the planet.

"Wow," breathed Chloe, stunned.

"That's what I'm going for," Lois smiled seductively, clearly planning on bringing her A-game.

"I can see. So I'm guessing because you're all ready, that you're going to eat before you get there for seven?" Chloe presumed, walking over to the edge of the couch and placing down the bags in her hands and slumping down into the fabric tiredly.

Lois snapped around, her eyes scrutinizing her cousin intently: "I never mentioned the date started at seven…" She eyed her cousin suspiciously.

Chloe coolly shifted in her seat and matched her flat-mate's glare smiling, "Most dates start at seven Lois. Also, I know that you need at least three hours to get ready for a date. Judging by the state of the place you've already taken up about two hours."

"You know me cuz," Lois said, letting go of her stare and returning to her room. "Do you know where that clutch is?"

_This is going to be a long night, I hope Clark's prepared for it…_

**Author's Note: Thanks again for reading! The move is slowly coming together but feels like the more I get done, the more I find to do! Anyway, a friend kindly lent me his internet so I could get this chapter out on time. **

**Thinking about how I was going to write AC when he finally arrives and I realised that it could be quite difficult since I don't seem to connect with the character. Personally I much prefer Victor Stone (i.e. Cyborg) because he seems so grounded and sensible, which I think would accompany Kara's wild steak quite well. I can't decide between the two so I'm hoping that you guys could help me out by voting on which you would like to see. Just PM me or review to cast a vote and when I get round to writing in AC/Victor I'll tally up the votes and go with it. No specific date set yet!**

**Once again thanks for reading and I am grateful for any reviews or follows since the last chapter. Get voting! **


	5. Chapter 5

Batman parked the Batmobile two blocks away from the Daily Planet before getting out, closing the door, locking and cloaking it. He then grabbed his grappling hook off of his belt and aimed at the highest rooftop and letting fly. He whizzed upward and landed softly on the concrete roof before he made the same maneuver Again until he was atop the building adjacent to the globe topped gold structure that housed the most read newspaper in the world. Taking a deep breath, he looked down and took in the fifty-storey drop that sunk down below him. _Another raise for Fox if I pull this off._

The caped crusader threw himself off the ledge, spiraling toward the cold tarmac below. Lights blurred and the wind tore through his ears. Roughly ten feet before the pavement, the Dark Knight arched his back, stretching his arms, and performed the most perfect U-turn causing him to float gently back up. He soared around the skyscraper and even had a little extra height to allow himself to dive bomb onto the top of the globe. Another smooth landing later and the Batman looked up at the expanding map of Metropolis that spread below him. _Another zero on the end of Fox's pay-check it is then._

"Impressive," smirked Superman, floating about five feet away.

The Batman span around quickly before frowning, no one ever managed to sneak up on him. "Not as special as the whole armory of meteor powers that you seem to have. Pardon the pack but you seem to be packing a lot of heat."

The man in read and blue laughed and landed on the globe. They stared at each other for a moment as the world span around them in the background. "You have no idea." Superman was serious now, "what are you doing here in my city? Aren't you exclusively based in Gotham?"

"Some the Gotham's underbelly have spread their wings. Where they go, I follow. Or keep two steps ahead," the Dark Knight tapped on his arm and a light blue hologram projected itself into the gap between the two heroes. "And what do you mean by your city? By my records, you've only been at the game twenty-four hours."

"It's a start. Metropolis needs someone to believe in while it struggles through such tough times. Someone who has no tarnishes against his name and remains a beacon of hope. Someone who makes no mistakes," Superman turned his head sharply and stared into the calculating blue eyes below the mask.

"Are you accusing me of something, jock strap?" The man in black Kevlar stormed fearlessly.

"I'm worried about your use of excess force. It's hardly something to look up to," Superman continued, remembering the hard kick the Dark Knight had inflicted upon one of the thugs to knock him out.

"We should be something for the scum of the Earth to fear, not pose for pictures and open museums," the Batman shouted, raising his arms in frustration, his cape billowing behind him in the wind.

"No, we should become ideals, for all. No matter where you come from, whatever you have done in the past- you can become brilliant if you dedicate yourself to good. We must stand for that."

"You know what, I don't need this, especially from a guy with a dress sense of a four year old drag queen. If you want to stop blessing babies and feel the need to do some actual hero work, call me." With that final judgment, the Caped Crusader dropped a card and left it floating downwards in the air. Superman snatched it up and watched as the Batman threw himself off the building and dropped into the depths below. He looked at the card. It read: build a spotlight- and there was a bat symbol beneath it. The Man of Steel had heard of this feature that reigned over Gotham's night sky and had contemplated using something similar. However he had much more important matters on hand at the present moment: _mustn't be late for Lois Lane._

xxXxx

Chloe sat on the sofa, legs tucked underneath her, with her laptop resting on the cushion in front of her. She was comfortable, dressed in a sweat shirt and loose fitting pants. The album _XX by the XX_ lightly played out from across the room. The blonde gave her laptop one final tap to send off the emails that she had written: one to Clark about all she had found about the Batman and the other to Perry White containing her latest story for the next morning's issue on the implications of Wayne Enterprises' newest venture. Having powered down her piece of tech, she swung her legs from under her and got up to grab some popcorn to watch her movie with.

Suddenly her apartment was showered with glass as a body came flying through the window at full speed. Chloe protected herself with her arms but still gained some cuts across her body. Taking a breath to steady herself, she looked down at the person that had just flown through her window, situated on the top floor of the building.

The hooded man was head to toe in fine green leather and combat boots. He wore glasses that were slightly cracked and what appeared to be a voice distorter. He had a bow strapped across his back in a holster and had a quiver of high tech arrows to match. On his belt were a collection of darts and a small crossbow. A zip wire trailed from his body and out of the window.

He coughed and sat up, careful not to expose his face, and took in his surroundings. _Cute apartment. Woah, cuter resident._

Chloe rushed down by his side and put her hand on his sculpted, muscular chest. "You need medical assistance," she said, pointing downwards toward the deep cut that had torn away the leather and arched across his six pack.

"I'll be fine," he insisted putting a glove on her arm and trying to get up.

"No no mister, you ain't going anywhere like that. What were you doing anyway?" Chloe asked, getting up and going to the sink to fetch her first aid kit.

"What do you think I was doing? Fixing the roof tiles or adjusting the TV ariel?" He had managed to get up now, although he stood a little weakly.

"Fancy yourself a vigilante then?" Chloe probed, walking back over to him and pushing on his shoulder lightly so that he would sit down. It presented a funny image for he towered over the petite blonde.

"You're Chloe Sullivan of the Daily Planet," he exclaimed, sitting up and wincing painfully.

"Yes I am. What does that matter anyway?" Chloe inquired, gently forcing him to lie down once again. She sat next to him and opened the first aid kit. She retrieved a pack of antiseptic wipes and removed one from the packet. The hooded hero twisted away in pain as she ran it over his wound on his stomach.

"You're going to write about me. Expose me. I'm not ready for that yet," he breathed through the pain.

"Sit still! Most vigilantes I deal with are tough as nails," she joked light-heartedly.

"You've dealt with heroes before?" he said, amazed.

_Oh you have no idea..._ "Yeah, but only competent ones," Chloe smiled and looked straight into his broken glasses. Over the course of their conversation he had sat up and opened his body to her. It was more trusting.

His mouth dropped open, "I am competent!"

"Not by my account," she smirked, as she stared wrapping bandages around her wounded soldier. _Screw what I thought about Clark earlier, this guy has definition._ "But you show promise."

"You know what, I'll prove it to you," he said, watching as Chloe secured the dressing in place.

"And how's that going to happen?" Chloe challenged playfully, subconsciously nibbling on her lower lip. _Stop flirting! Stay professional!_

"I'll be in touch," he quipped, standing up an making his way to the window.

"Hold it," Chloe chased after him and spun him around and placed her finger on his leather-clad chest. You aren't going anywhere mister."

"You think that just because you patched me up, I want to stay the night?" he grinned flirtatiously, looking down into her green eyes.

"Doctor's orders," she whispered, suddenly taken a back by the romantic surrounding that she found herself in.

They held the silence for a few more long seconds before he cleared his throat lightly and stepped back. "I better get my beauty sleep then. I'll crash on the couch?"

"No take my flatmate's bed, she might not be back tonight," the blonde mentioned towards Lois' door. She watched as he walked straight to the threshold and turned back at her, hand resting on the doorframe.

"Thanks," he smiled and entered the room and shut the door. Chloe stared after him: _There is no chance of me getting any sleep now._

On the other side of the door, Oliver Queen dropped his hood and breathed a sigh of relief. He was so close to being found out on his very first patrol. He leant his head back onto the wood of the door. _Why did all the women that complicate his life have to be so good looking? And charming? And sweet?_ All he knew was that he was now more determined than ever to get himself and Chloe Sullivan better aquatinted. A woman like herself was hard to come by and she seemed just perfect.

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who's reading, reviewing and following! I am very grateful. I'm so annoyed at googlemail because it deleted the next section of this story so I'm going to have to rewrite that. Grrr. Anyway that section will be up when I can get it ready and it will be Kara meeting Victor Stone because I decided to trade him in for AC. Thanks again!**


	6. Chapter 6

Kara Jor-el soared through space, her hair floating behind her as though she was underwater. Her blue irises reflected the lunar surface that was her destination. On the dark side of the moon, away from prying eyes, was a large metal disk. It contained Mars' closest access to their Earthly neighbours. The silver daggers that made up the entrance slid away as she approached and from there she sped straight to reception. A three-eyed alien gasped in surprise, causing one of his eyes to drop out, as the blonde seemed to appear out of nowhere.

"Welcome to Interstar tourism, the planet's leading company in Earthly travel," he said, fumbling around the desk to put his eye back in its socket.

"When's the next flight out of here?" asked Kara, cutting his rehearsed speech short.

"The next usable solar flare is in thirty three seconds, you'll never make it even if you have a ticket," he smiled under the pretence that he was being helpful.

"Don't worry about tickets, I don't have one," she grinned playfully. She watched as he reached for his phone to call security before speeding off in the direction of the terminal. Back at reception, the Martian was crawling along the floor looking for all three of his eyes with the help of his coworkers.

Kara pulled to a stop in front of boarding. With eight seconds left till the solar flare that would provide the cover that the space ship needed, the doors were only just closing. The company never bothered with safety talks; that was the passengers' concern not theirs. Just as the large mechanical doors drew to a close, a blur seemed to just about squeeze itself through. _That was tight._

Kara would have just flown there herself but she didn't want the risk of exposure just yet. Now she stood looking down the passenger aisle, realising that she didn't have a seat. However, the blonde had noticed a sleazy middle aged Martian that hadn't stopped tracking her curves since she had arrived. Kara plastered a smile across her face and walked purposely over to him, swinging her hips for effect. The male was almost drooling by the time she reached him and sat straighter as she leant over him and whispered in his ear. He stood up and put his arm around her waist and clung onto her like she was his prize pig at a market. They strolled to the end of the passenger section to the bar where Kara broke from his hand, which had dropped down her body and was groping her behind. She turned to face him and left a kiss on his greasy mug. _Why can't my targets ever be smoking hot?_

Kara span around, skipped to the bathroom and beckoned at him seductively before entering the restroom. She sat on the toilet and waited for him. He entered moments later eagerly and was already untying his robes. The blonde tilted her head and laughed before swinging her leg up hard into his groin. The Martian collapsed onto the floor, coughing in pain. She stood up and bounced over him. Now she really smiled as she brought her boot across his head with enough force to knock him out. Disgusted, she picked him up and sped to the cargo area, where she opened a box and dumped him in. Then she returned to the passenger area.

People various articles went flying as Kara zoomed back to the aisle. _Whoops, the solar flare is having slight effect on my powers..._ As the other passengers flustered about, the blonde sat in her newly acquired seat and leisurely flipped through the pages of the in flight shopping magazine. In her hand she held three things: the Martian's ticket, his credit dispenser and several clumps of his hair. She eyed the Earthy fashions that were on display, particularly a red crop top and blue miniskirt. _This is going to be fun..._

xxXxx

Kara was thrown awake by her seat being jolted about, accompanied with several screams. She looked around quickly and saw that the doors to the cockpit lay open. She rose and smashed her head into the roof of the ship. The solar flare was really playing with her powers. _I'm going to have to watch myself._ She sped gingerly to the front of the spiralling craft. Looking out the windscreen, she saw that they were about a minute from crashing into the Earth's surface. The pilot had burned through his copilot's throat with his laser before destroying the main controls and committing suicide. They were certainly going to perish if Kara didn't do anything. She hurried to the emergency door and punched through it. Instead of just penetrating the metal, the Krytonian sent the door flying out into the night. She sped out of the threshold and before she could stop herself she ended up flying above a city basked in sunlight. Looking down she saw several black cars and larger red cars. In the distance she heard someone order a cup of tea and a series of bells ring out. She had accidentally crossed the planet. Realising her mistake, she hurried back to the ship, still managing to make an unintended tour of Earth, twenty seconds later. Now the space ship was about one hundred feet from the ground. She flew forward and swooped underneath it, steadying the craft in her palms. She leaned up, trying to steady its course but she found herself getting weaker. Pain scorched through her veins and her strength was drained from her muscles. Instead of supporting the ship, Kara was now barrelling toward the earth with it. She had no control and her breathing got harder. Looking at the ground before her, Kara saw that there was a car driving towards them. There was only a few seconds before impact when the driver's eyes widened and he swung his truck to the right. It ploughed straight into a ditch and was thrown from the surface into the air. It slammed back down, causing the vehicle to roll several times. Kara braced herself and shut her eyes, fearing for her life for the very first time. She had never felt pain before. She felt it now however as the shuttle obliterated the corn field beneath it. Kara was sandwiched between the ship and the ground and the force of the crash drove her underground. She felt her spine snap as she was sent further and further into the dirt. Finally she lay still, knocked out by pain and the large piece of kyptonite that sat in front of her. Supergirl had arrived, and she was trapped.

**Author's note: Sorry this one's a little shorter than recent posts. Thanks for the reviews and follows, not to mention the favourites and anyone who is reading this. English coursework seems to be consuming my life at the moment but should be able to keep up to my rapidly disappearing schedule next Sunday! Thanks again? (P.S. Can anyone guess who's in the crashed car? Haha)**


	7. Chapter 7

Lois finally left the apartment at 6:45, determined not to be late for once in her life. She had never felt so nervous, this could make her career. _Not to mention he's the hottest guy you've ever seen._ She hailed a passing cab and got in once it had stopped. She told him where she wanted to go and sat back. After around ten minutes, the cab pulled up and the brunette paid her fare and got out. She wasn't sure how to wait for a superhero at a phone box so she decided to grab a coffee at the cafe that overlooked the corner.

Superman lingered a moment on top of the Daily Planet before he checked his watch. _Damn! Three to seven, I'm going to be late for Lois!_ The Man of Steel zoomed back to Clark's apartment, grabbing his mobile off the countertop before speeding to a building on the corner. He looked down and was disappointed to see that Lois wasn't there. His eyes raked the streets until he saw her sitting down in the window of a coffee shop opposite. Superman smiled and raised his phone to her ear.

Lois fumed as she carried her black coffee over to the raised chairs that looked out onto the street. _Even the price of coffee is rising. There might be an angry, hard hitting story in that._ She placed her polystyrene cup on the surface before perching on the seat. She had barely taken a sip before the phone booth seemed to light up, ringing loudly into the empty night. Lois was gone so quick that the door hadn't even closed before she reached the phone, her coffee long forgotten.

Superman smiled as he watched Lois stride out across the rode. _Wow. She looks amazing, beautiful._ He wished that he had been able to forget how stunning she had looked the night before, but his heart hadn't allowed it. _Why didn't I see it before when she lived at the farm?_ It was like she was a different person. He shook himself out of the trance as Lois unhooked the phone.

"Hello?" She answered, gripping the phone in her hand.

"Good evening Lois," spoke Superman warmly.

"Where are you?" Lois asked frantically, looking around through the glass panels of the phone box for her man in red and blue.

"I'm around," replied Superman, smiling as her saw the frustrated look that came over her face.

"Okay smart guy, but no sneaking up on me. I grew up on an army base and I'm certain no matter how many powers you have, I'll still kick your spandex covered ass," she joked, still searching for her hero.

"I'll take your word for it. Talking of err talking," Superman stumbled a moment on his words and drew a breath to steady himself, "would you mind interviewing me?"

"You want me to interview you?" Lois gasped, stunned. She had even stopped looking for him through the glass and stood, clutching the phone with both hands. "Why me? I'd be more than happy to but..."

Lois stopped dead as Superman floated down from the rooftop and landed in front of the phone booth. "Because you are honest. And I know I can trust you," he replied, snapping his phone shut and pulling the door open.

Lois stepped out and looked up at him, "We only met last night, how can you tell?"

Superman struggled to keep his eyes on the brunette's face as lust swept through him. "I like to trust my instincts and right now they seem to be saying that I need a reporter to tell my story to the world."

Lois blushed and looked down, once again soaking in his muscular torso. "Ok, you've got a deal," she said, dragging her eyes back up to his blue bulbs that bore into hers.

He placed a strong arm around her waist and twisted his head so that they shared the same breathing space. "Hold on tight," he breathed, somehow keeping a strong, bold tone in his voice. Lois buried her head in his chest as Superman squeezed her hips and took off.

They soared high above the skyline of Metropolis. Lois removed her face from his torso to admire the view. His sculpted jawline was sharp enough to draw blood and his hair maintained a perfect curl to it, despite the increasingly windy conditions. His baby blues may not be looking at her now but she knew that they resembled nobilty and humanity at the same time. Finally, she looked away from her man to gaze at the city below. Streets expanded out below her and she heard all the traffic and shouting. _And they say New York is the city that never sleeps._

The pair swept down as Superman guided them back down to a familiar looking, golden globe topped, rooftop. They landed gracefully on the concrete and Lois stepped away from The Man of Steel for a moment. "You want to get started right now?" the brunette snorted disbelievingly.

"I thought I could give you an exclusive interview, Miss Lane," he mentioned softly, dropping his leg off the side of the seventy storey building and sitting down.

Lois dropped down next to him and perched on the edge as well. She subtlety snuggled up next to his incredibly warm body and dug her notepad out of her clutch. "Who are you?" She started with the question she most wanted an answer to.

"Superman. I come from a planet named Krypton based in a galaxy far away from your own. My real name is Kal-El." His eyes carefully tracked the reporter's reaction to his extateresterial news. She blinked at him but didn't flinch away from him. His insides exploded with happiness, he finally felt accepted.

Lois recovered from her speechlessness almost instantly and resumed her interview with vigour. "Why are you here?"

"My home planet was destroyed. I am the last survivor, left alone to fulfil my destiny," he looked up at the skyline as he spoke.

"And what is that?" Lois asked, still staring into his face.

Superman swiveled back around to look her in the eyes: "To help. Metropolis, no the world, is in the most difficult time that we have experienced. Murder occurs like the milk round and corruption destroys the good in people. Justice and order have been abandoned for greed and evil. I want to help people fulfill their full potential, whether that be saving them from strife or aiding them in standing up above the difficulties they face to promote goodness." He smiled straight at her and she blushed and looked away. "What about you Lois? What brought you here?"

"I never wanted to be a reporter. It sort of just happened," she looked down into the depths of the city below her, "but from there the thrill of chasing a lead and uncovering the truth has never stopped growing since I began. I want to be the best, prove myself, and become a top reporter someday, soon." By this point she had leaned a little away from the Man of Steel.

"You'll get there Lois, nothing gets in the way of a Lane right?" joked Superman, placing an arm around her and pulling her close to him once again. "Do you have any family?"

"Yes, but we're not close. I ended up bringing my sister up while my dad was busy grieving for my mother's death through the army. I'm proud of him for what he achieved but I wish that he had been there for us more. That's why I'm so close to my cousin Chloe I guess, she was the one person in my life who made me feel normal. Other than that... Well there was..." Lois revealed, more than she ever had to anyone before. But now she had gone silent.

"Who were you going to say?" Superman prompted, rubbing her arm gently.

"The Kents. A small family down in Smallville. You've probably never heard of it. That farm that they lived on was the first place I called home and meant it. They were like a second family to me. Even fighting with their son felt great, like I belonged."

Superman had to turn away to hide his grin. It made him proud that his parents had had such an effect on Lois. And if he could have told her anything, it would be that he had secretly enjoyed those arguments too.

Lois interrupted Superman's deep thought with another question; she was back on form: "I'm guessing that you have no family left?"

"No. But my parents on Earth, while not biological, were the best parents that I ever could have found."

"Found?"

"It's always been a joke in our family that I found them rather than the other way around," he smiled at the memory of his father explaining how they found him for the first time. "Anyone special in your life Lois?"

"No, not anymore. I've had my fair share but none felt right," on the final word, the brunette turned her head towards her companion again.

"They never seemed to work out, we were never at the same level," Superman continued, thinking back to him and Lana.

Lois nodded her head. Then she snapped it around and glared at him. "Are you saying that you were better than her, or him, because of your abilities?"

"Certainly not!" The Man of Steel chuckled, raising his hands to defend himself. "She only ever saw the power that I had. She felt as though she was inferior and had to match it. She saw only a challenge rather than a person in me." It was Superman's turn to slump his head, weighed down by the past.

"Don't expect me to be reaching up to you, Spaceman!" Lois retorted, a smirk playing on her lips. "What are these famous powers you speak of?"

Superman laughed at her statement, slightly knocked back by her strong-willed reply. "I never expected you to. I knew you never would," He stated, already knowing it to be true despite their brief time together.

"Good," she smiled, "but you never answered my question." Lois knocked her heels against the side of the building impatiently, causing one of them to fall off and plunge into the space underneath her. Before she could even curse, Superman had flown down, caught it and had returned it to its rightful place on her foot. Now he floated before her.

"I can fly and run faster than the speed of sound. I have super strength to the point where I could probably tear this building from its foundations with only my left arm," he listed, gliding towards her and retaking his place next to her on the rooftop. "I have heat vision and frost breath. I can hear a heartbeat from ten miles away and see the cells dividing on the back of your hand. I will heal from pretty much anything once placed back in the sunlight but this rarely happens as I'm invulnerable. I'll be able to recall every detail of this meeting from the tone of your voice to the curve of your face, due to my Eidetic Memory." He finished and looked her in the pupils, trying to gauge a response.

Now Lois was stumped. How could he expect her to write this story? She was only a small city girl who bashed her way through life to make up for the emptiness that consumed her from within. This man could easily tear the world apart. "Why me Superman? There are hundreds of others that would do a far better job than I will," she admitted quietly, starting to get up from her place in his arms.

"Lois, you are far more special than you realise. You are the only person that I have met so far in my time in Metropolis that has made be feel truly human," he confessed, rising to meet her, placing his hand on her cheek and tilting his face closer to hers.

"Says the man who just flew fifty storeys within a blink of an eye just to rescue my stiletto."

"Well your the only one I'll ever do that for, Lois Lane," he whispered. Wrapping her in his arms, he kissed her. One hand was caressing her soft hair, the other supporting the small of her back. Lois instinctively opened up to the kiss and raised herself to full height to complete the embrace. One arm rested on his waist while the other grasped at his muscular chest.

Lois eventually broke the kiss and placed her forehead against his, staring into his eyes and smiling. They had just shared the most perfect moment and now they span around in their embrace. _Wait, why am I spinning?_ She reared her head back as far as she dared and smacked his arm hard: "What the hell are we doing up here?"

The couple were floating above the clouds in the stillness of the night. "Sorry, must have got a little carried away," Superman laughed. He floated them over to a moonlit cloud and perched above it. Lois sat across his lap with her arms wrapped around his shoulders. She kissed him passionately again and the moon reflected the love they felt. _This is a perfect evening._

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading, following, reviewing and ****favouring! I'm so grateful for the support. This was the first chapter I had to rewrite, half because of google mail deleting the story again and half because I felt I got the tone wrong the first time. Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts on Lois' and Superman's first "date." Thanks again!**


	8. Chapter 8

Once again Lex Luthor found himself doing his favourite activity: watching his future kingdom swarm underneath him. He stood at the window staring at the people below Lex Corp Tower like a vulture overlooking a dead body. He placed his hands on the glass and pulled his lips into a smile. _One day this will all be mine_. The bald man was distracted from his dreams when his phone rang loudly. He threw down his hands and snatched the handset off the desk. "Luthor, this better be good," he warned whoever was on the other end of the line.

"Oh it is Mr Luthor. There's been a crash in Smallville, Kansas," spoke a distorted voice.

"Go on, I'm listening," Lex said, taking a seat in his leather seat.

"Two men, both critically injured. One of the name John Corben, whose heart has failed twice already and has a good chance of falling into a coma." John Corben was a military man. In his very early thirties, he had served in Iraq and Afganistan under General Lane. In his leave from service, he volunteered as a scout for Metropolis Sharks football team as he had a driving passion for the sport. Had it not been for his desire to serve his country, Corben could have gone professional. Instead he had selected the army and while he didn't know it yet, he had just been picked by Sam Lane for his most dangerous mission yet: to become the husband of his daughter Lois.

"I've heard of him, he's perfect for Project: Metallo. If my sources are correct, it sounds like we'll be saving him from hell by dragging him from the clutches of Miss Lane." Lex laughed at his own little joke as the voice sat patiently. "What about the other man?" Lex urged.

"Victor Stone is 21 years old in his final year of college. He was Corben's passenger, having just had a trail for the aforementioned Sharks. He's top quality, from what I understand, he was getting an offer to play quarter back. Not to mention that he attained straight As through high school. The guy's a genius. Guess the Holy Mary pass is going to be a little harder now. His arm was almost severed in the accident and half of his skin was scorched by burning fuel."

"Stick him in Project: Regeneration. It'll be interesting to see how the synthetic metal plays with his arm." Lex stood and grabbed his coat. He strode out the door and waited for the lift. "Thank you for the call, the payment will be made as normal," he finished, snapping the phone shut.

The lift arrived and the genius stepped inside and selected the basement. Lex had been interested in the sciences since he was a small boy. The idea that the combination of a couple of elements could create something that could give a man such power fascinated him. One element had taken his eye in particular: _Kryptonite_. It had only appeared just over two decades ago but since then it had been the heart of most of his endeavours. If these projects were pulled off, they would mark the beginning of a journey that would evolve the human race. Such advancements may be needed if men like Superman were wriggling out of the woodwork. The lift reached the basement and Lex got out and clambered into a waiting limo. _Superman_. Lex still hadn't figured out a way to talk to the vigilante. He was the kind of man that the son of Lionel Luthor wanted as an ally. Lex looked out the window at the citizens of Metropolis as his limo sped through the traffic, not having to worry about speeding fines for the traffic department had been **dealt with.** Lex called his leading henchman on his mobile. "Have you got the patients?" He snarled, anxious now to secure his investments.

"Yeah, they're at the complex. Shall we wait for your arrival to begin?"

"Delay Project: Regeneration till I arrive. I want to see the metal form with my own eyes. Start Project: Metallo. That is only surgery and therefore is child's play to me."

"Yes sir," the voice replied before hanging up. Lex sat back in his seat. He would arrive in half an hour. He shut his eyes and let his brilliant mind start to roam. Presently, he was about to step forward into a new age of humanity. For now, however, he let his brain think about future plans and aspirations.

xxXxx

Batman swooped down and landed at the end of the dark alley that contained his Batmobile. Then he stopped dead. _Selina_. He placed his hand on his ear once more and spoke:

"Alfred, where's the Batmobile?"

"Had a little too much to drink sir?" The old Brit quipped, enjoying his little joke.

"Now's not the time. Who knows what Selina Kyle could do. She's resourceful."

"So I've heard sir." Batman sighed, he knew that his butler was enjoying this.

"Can you just tell me where she is?"

"Are was talking about the car or the girl sir?" This time Alfred laughed. Batman simply smiled on the other side, not wanting to give his estranged butler the satisfaction.

"The car, she would never leave something so potentially valuable lying around."

"Turns out she's returned it home sir. How did she do it?"

"She must have initiated the procedure put in place in case I ever get injured."

"When you get injured, sir. I presumed that you kept those codes to yourself."

"Like you said Alfred, she's resourceful." Batman tapped his comm again to end the conversation and released his grapple hook into the night sky. _Certainly a less glamorous way to travel..._

**Author's note: Wheyy I finally got Internet! As a sort of celebration I decided to upload this. Thanks for reading and I know it's annoying when people ask for reviews but they are really nice to receive. I didn't get any for the last couple of chapters and feedback would be gratefully accepted. Thanks again!**

**Ps: Jeeesus, just read through this as a check up and realised that I hadn't edited it before posting. Simply awful mistakes! That's just embarrassing...**


	9. Chapter 9

About an hour later Superman landed gracefully back onto the roof top of the Daily Planet, placing Lois down gently next to him. She reached up, kissed him again and he wrapped his arms around her in response. "I think I'd get fired if I gave every interviewee this treatment," she smirked.

"I sincerely hope you don't," Superman replied, running his hand through her hair and looking into her brown eyes.

Suddenly the door burst open as Jimmy Olsen stumbled through the threshold. "Lois! I know it's late but..." The young photographer stopped dead as Lois and Superman broke from their embrace. "Was I interrupting something?"

"No," said Superman, trying to hold back laughter as he heard Lois mutter "Yes" under her breath. "Good night Lois, I'll see you soon."

"I'll see you at the next disaster, Superman," Lois smiled. The Man of Steel turned to leave but was stopped by Jimmy.

"Wait," shouted the man, holding out his hand and clutching a camera. "Can I get a photo of you?"

"Sure, Metropolis needs to see my face in order to trust me," Superman stated. He reached out to shake Jimmy's hand.

"Jimmy Olsen, Superman. Superman, Jimmy Olsen," Lois introduced the pair to one another. Jimmy took hand of the outstretched hand and shook it firmly. _How can he have so much power in his hands and yet shake our hands? How does he kiss me so gently and tenderly._

"A pleasure to meet you Jimmy."

"It's an honour Superman," gushed the photographer. "Can I take the shot now?"

"Certainly," said Superman, flying up, placing his hands on his hips and giving the lens a smile.

The shutter clicked and Jimmy shifted his frame to get another angle. "Excellent, let's get another one over her," he instructed, pointing at the globe that span behind the photographer.

Superman started to make his way over when he froze rigid. "I'm sorry Jimmy, Lois, but there's a situation occurring and I need to put a stop to it. Before either Lois or Jimmy could argue, The Man of Steel was gone, leaving only a gust of wind in his wake.

Lois watched as her man flew off into the horizon before walking over and gripping her hand onto the photographer's shoulder, making him jump. "C'mon Olsen, we have a story to write..."

xxXxx

Superman sped across the state. He could feel the power of a solar flare pulsing through his veins. _That explains the trip to the clouds with Lois._ He reached the cornfield that was typical of Smallville and stopped and watched as a blonde girl struggled to hold a spacecraft up from smashing into the earth below. He zoomed towards her but his powers sapped as he grew nearer and nearer to the Kryptonite lying in the ground. _It's powers must be greater too, under the influence of the solar flare_. He saw a pick up truck was going to collide with the ship if he didn't alter the crash course. The Man of Steel smashed into the side of the extraterrestrial vehicle, pushing it off course. The extra power from the solar flare caused him to keep traveling across the field, so far that he no longer felt the Kryptonite as he was out of range. Superman's eyes grew red as he used his heat vision to destroy any Kryptonite that he could see. He scanned the spaceship for any signs of life and found none. _What a waste._ Looking at the car, he saw two bodies, both still breathing but in terrible condition. Superman sped over to them and put out the fire that raged around the overturned vehicle. He picked each one of them up in his arms and ran them to Metropolis General Hospital. He burst into the I.C.U. and placed them on separate beds. He burned his shield onto the man in military uniform's watch and shouted to the stunned doctors that these men needed urgent assistance before disappearing.

Returning to the crash site, Superman picked up the spacecraft and soared out into space. Flying straight past the moon, The Man of Steel flung the space ship out towards Mars. _So there are other aliens in this universe aside from me._ Satisfied that the ship would make it home, (having discovered its homeland from the logo on the side of the spacecraft) Superman turned back and returned for one last check.

Everything seemed fine. The car had exploded and the crash site had stopped smoking. But Superman hadn't seen where the girl had gone. He x-rayed the area briefly and then he spotted her. She was buried about five hundred metres below the surface and wasn't moving. The Man of Steel punched through the ground and floated down the tunnel made earlier by her body. He had to stop every ten metres to destroy more radioactive rock from his home planet, which meant that he made slow progress. A few minutes later he reached her. The blonde was still breathing but had broken her back and looked severely ill. Then something caught his eye.

A bracelet hung off her outstretched arm. _Is that my family symbol?_ Superman stopped still and took in the revelation. He wasn't alone in the world, the universe. He really had a family. Someone like him.

He snatched her up took off in flight. He zoomed through the dirt and burst out of the ground before speeding across the Earth. He lay her down a top of a the Eiffel Tower, away from prying eyes. He sat patiently and watched as she healed, her back snapping back into place. She opened her eyes and blinked after about thirty seconds before sitting bold upright and screaming "Where am I?"

"Don't worry you're safe. You're in France, on planet Earth. That was a brave thing you did, trying to save that spaceship from crashing," Superman said, looking down from his vantage point on top of the Tower, a few feet above her.

Her head turned slowly to look up at her saviour. His cape fluttered in the wind and he wore the symbol of her house on his chest. "Kal-El?"

"How do you know that name?"

xxXxx

**Author's Note: Thanks again for reading and reviewing! I am always grateful for that. Please let me know how you think the story is going and if I am getting the characters/dialogue right. It would really be appreciated. **

**I'm sorry this one's a little out of the timeline, I realised as soon as I posted the last chapter the night before that I had accidentally jumped across the time vortex! Oh well.**

**Just to let you know that next up is Batman/Catwoman and then some Chloe and Ollie (who are my favourite couple out of the series and to write for). **

**Anyway thanks again. I've totally lost track of my supposed schedule but as long as I get a chapter out once a week I'm happy. Cheers!**


	10. Chapter 10

Batman pulled in to the docks on one of his motorbikes that he had stored around the city, desperate to go to sleep. He knew that he had to hold up for just another hour or so before he could crash. _Turns out even superheroes get tired once in a while. _The gate opened automatically for him and he entered Dunthorne Enterprises. The guitar making company was just a dummy for Wayne Enterprises. Turns out that a warehouse is also the perfect place to have a superhero's hideout. He stopped the bike in front of a crate towards the back of the compound and muttered the password. A bright blue light pierced the night as the computer scanned him before the doors slid open. He edged the bike in before the doors shut and the floor descended down into the depths of the underground base of operations.

Not waiting until the lift had fully lowered into the open room, the Batman abandoned the vehicle and glided down to his main console. He tapped the keyboard and it showed the results of a scan that he had ordered on his way home.

"Nice of you to drop in, Catwoman," welcomed the Dark Knight, not feeling very hospitable.

"Some nice tech you have here Batboy, ever felt like giving it to the authorities? Or are you too fond of all your little toys?" Catwoman dropped down from the high ceiling where she had been hiding. "I'm guessing you want to tell me off for stealing your ride?" she teased, walking towards Batman, swinging her hips. She was dressed in a tight cat suit that left little to the imagination. Her goggles rested on her eyes and her whip was wrapped up in her right hand. Her heels clipped loudly on the floor and the harsh light reflected off her metal bolas that hung off her waist and they swung lightly with each step. _Keep your eyes on her face You're not a playboy in this suit Bruce. _"And maybe a little punishment," she continued, walking behind the rigid Caped Crusader. "Maybe a little spanking?" She whispered, breathing the words into his ear seductively.

Batman strode forward and snapped around to face her, his cape billowing out from behind him. "You could have waited for me. A gentleman always drives his date home."

"Don't make jokes, it doesn't suit you. Besides, I always preferred the type that are dark and brooding. You're the epitome of that, Batboy," said Catwoman, moving her goggles up her face to reveal her light blue eyes and letting her short black hair drop out onto her forehead.

Batman turned around and tapped on the keyboard, trying to distract himself from **her**. "Selina Kyle, wanted for several heists and burglaries. I should really hand you in."

"But you don't want to do you?" She sneaked up behind him once more, running one of her sharp, clawed fingers across his back slowly. She laughed again as his body seemed to stiffen under her touch.

"Why do you think that?" asked the Batman, determined not to turn his head.

"Because, Batboy, there has to be some perks of the job right?" she murmured against his cheek before kissing it lightly and lashing out with her whip toward the lift. As quick as her feline counterpart, she disappeared up the elevator that had brought the Dark Knight home. He turned around, placing his gloved hand on the skin that her lips had touched. Batman barely noticed when his weary butler, dressed in a dressing gown stepped out from a side room and walked over.

"Got yourself a girlfriend Master Wayne?" He asked coyly, pulling the masked man's leg.

"No, Alfred. She's a criminal and needs to be dealt with. She's dangerous," replied the billionaire, removing his cowl.

"I'm sure she is Master Wayne, I'm sure she is," quipped Alfred, walking back out the room, satisfied that his employer was lying.

_I hate it how Alfred is always right…_

xxXxx

_Monday_

Sunlight poured through the gap in the curtains as the stereo resting on a bedside table came to life, playing _Easy Living by Billie Holiday._ Chloe shifted out of sleep and rubbed her eyes. Her hair was mussed and was wrapped up in her duvet. _Urgh, sleepless nights… _She groaned and slipped out of bed, removing her pajamas and putting on the clothes she had set out the night before. The blonde was always dead before her first caffeine shot of the day and she smiled as she smelt the coffee brewing in her preset machine. She walked sleepily out of her room and into the kitchen, yawning.

"Morning," came a distorted voice from behind the breakfast bar. Chloe yelped and jumped about three feet into the air, finally opening her eyes properly for the first time that morning.

"Jesus! I totally forgot you were here," she managed, recovering from the initial shock of having a leather clad vigilante standing at her stove. She reached forward for her coffee that had just finished brewing and took a long sip. "Ahh, that's the stuff. I thought you would have left by now, what with the whole secret identity thing going for you," she smiled at Green Arrow.

"You could say that," he joked, "but I wanted to thank you personally for patching me up last night. Not to mention, when a pretty woman like yourself invites you to stay over, you tend to stick around," grinned the man, head to toe in green. Chloe blushed and looked down at her feet. _Oliver Queen, what have you got yourself into? She's ridiculously adorable, yet sexy at the same time. _He turned back to the breakfast that he just had finished serving up and pivoted back, plates in either hand.

"Waffles! I love waffles. How did you know?" asked Chloe, sitting down. Green Arrow placed the pile between them and took his place opposite her.

"I just made what I know best," he said, reaching out to grab one. Chloe only just managed to stop herself from bursting out laughing at the thought of the modern day Robin Hood dressed in all his glory and tights, combined with an apron and oven mitts. Chloe joined him in taking a deliciously warm waffle and without looking went straight for the chocolate sauce. He petite fingers touched leather glove as they both clutched the bottle. Both heads snapped up and they held the gaze for a few moments, still holding the bottle.

The Emerald Archer coughed gently and took his hand back nervously. Chloe's cheeks flushed a little once again and nibbled at her lip absentmindedly. _Does she even know how crazy she makes me when she does that?_

"You weren't lying about the whole helping heroes out thing last night, were you?" he asked, trying to tone down the tension felt between them a bit.

"No, I wasn't," replied Chloe, focusing on squeezing sauce onto her waffle. "If you need any help at all, don't be afraid to call me."

Looking her straight in the eyes again, Green Arrow lent forward and spoke, "Aren't you afraid of getting hurt? Thugs will want blood for the things that we vigilantes do. They will go after anyone…"

"I have powerful friends in high places to protect me," Chloe smirked, relaxing in her seat. "Beside, I can handle myself."

"I don't doubt that. Talking of 'high places,' does that friend happen to be dressed in red and blue spandex and fly about a lot?"

"Personally, I always preferred the leather look." Once again, a moment of tenderness was shared between the couple.

Through the wall, Chloe could hear the sound of the lift arriving at her floor and a certain cousin singing _Whitesnake_ loudly to herself step out of the doors into the hallway. The Modern Day Robin Hood was just about to take his first bite out of his waffle when Chloe reached over and beat it from his hands. Before he could protest, she hissed sharply at him, standing up: "You need to go now."

"Sorry, did I…"

"No, it's not you, something more dangerous. Get out of the window!" She urged her hero, pushing him from his chair and onto the frame before opening the latch. He barely had time to drop down before Lois walked through the door. Chloe spun around, trying to make herself look normal. _Now is not the time to think of his tightly packaged behind squeezing through the window, Chloe. What do people do with their arms normally?_

"I just secured the front page!" Lois beamed, dropping all of her bags and coat in one pile on the floor by the door. "Sweet, you made waffles. Still would have preferred pancakes."

"Yeah, err, those are for you. And we've had this discussion over a million times, waffles are better than pancakes."

"No they're not. Pancakes are light and fluffy and everybody loves them. Only Belgians love waffles," Lois ranted humorously. "Why have we got the windows open? The wind'll blow everything everywhere." Lois strode over to the window and pulled the pane shut. Chloe let out a weak protest as she saw gloved fingertips clasping onto the corner of the windowsill. "Anyway, cheers for the waffles. I'm gonna grab a couple hours sleep, been up writing an interview for Superman. Our date went brilliantly, thanks for asking. Chief gave me the morning off," Lois rambled, walking into her room, waffle in hand.

Chloe waited until she had heard her cousin fall onto the springs of her mattress before she rushed to the window. She let out a disappointed sigh as there weren't any gloved fingers holding on any longer.

Lois stormed back into the kitchen and tossed her waffle in the bin. "Sorry, that one had a hair in it. You know what I'm like with that kinda thing," she finished, before returning to her room.

Chloe dived for the trashcan as soon as the coast was clear and snatched it out of the rubbish. She held it up to the light before spotting her prize. She carefully plucked the hair and held it in front of her face. _Time to find out who the new vigilante in town is…_

xxXxx

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing! I can't believe it took me around 16,000 words just to cover a weekend. How on Earth did that happen? Haha. **

**The scene with Green Arrow clinging onto the windowsill was inspired by a certain work of the graffiti artist Banksy. You should check him out if you haven't heard of him already. I feel as though Chloe should know who her hero is as soon as possible. She'll help Oliver develop into the superhero that is Green Arrow. Not to mention I can't wait to get their romance started.**

**Bruce and Selinas' relationship will be harder to write, considering Batman tends to shut himself away from the world. On the other hand, Catwoman is supposedly the world's greatest cat ****burglar so it couldn't be too hard for her to break through his walls! **

**Anyway, I love writing this and I'm struggling to get to sleep at night because I keep coming up with new ideas. Toss me a review because I enjoy reading what you guys think more than anything. Cheers!**


	11. Chapter 11

Kara Zor-El stood up to her full height, still atop the Eiffel Tower with Superman. "Wow, last time I saw you, you were just a baby," she recalled sadly, remembering her home planet.

"You knew me as a baby?" said Superman, stunned. "Are you from Krypton?"

"Yes, I am Kryptonian, like you. I'm your cousin, Kara Zor-El. My father and yours were brothers," Kara replied, slightly taken a back by his torrent of questions.

"I thought I was the last survivor. I thought I was alone." Superman looked at his newly found cousin, finally meeting someone just like himself.

"Not anymore, Kal. We are the only ones left," Kara finished, turning away from him and taking off into the sky. Superman sped after her and caught up with her on the edges of the atmosphere. "I've heard about what you have started here," Kara said, gazing out at the Earth expanding below her. "Your parents would have been proud."

"You knew my parents?"

"Yes. Your mother was more of a parent to me than my real mother was. I travelled to Earth with her when I was fifteen when your parents chose the Kents as your adoptive parents. I've always wanted to return since then and now I finally have."

"And you lived on Krypton before it was destroyed? How old are you?"

"Yes, I grew up there, in Argo city. I thought it was rude to ask a woman their age by Earth's conventions?" laughed Kara. Superman started to apologize but the blonde cut him off. "Technically I'm twenty-eight but when my ship crashed across the galaxy, it kept me in suspended animation for five years. I was finally found five years later when I was twenty-four but I still hadn't aged a day, still in a nineteen-year-old's body. I've spent the last four years trying to find out what happened to our home and locate any other survivors. I'm sorry that I left it so long but I couldn't stop searching until I was sure there was nothing left to find." Kara explained, casting a regretful look at her cousin.

"I don't care. I have a family now, a link to my past." Superman took her hand and made to leave. "I'll show you where I grew up, who is important in my life."

"I'd like that," said Kara. They flew around the globe, Superman leading the way, and landed outside the barn in Smallville. It was the early hours of the morning and the moon lit most of the farm. Kara turned around taking in her familiar surroundings, "Wow, it's barely changed since I was last here."

"This was the safest, happiest place of my life," Superman revealed, joining her in looking around at his childhood home.

"Your mother knew that the people who lived here would love you unconditionally. She saw how they interacted and instantly knew that they were the ones for you," Kara remembered. Superman stretched and yawned. Kara laughed at how obscure the sight of an exhausted superhero was. _He looks so human._

"All tuckered out?" she smirked, feeling tired herself. It had been a busy day, what with the whole crashing spaceships and sightseeing thing going on.

"No, I just need some sleep before work tomorrow," he breathed, coming out of his yawn. He was impressed by her knowledge of the English language. "I'm gonna get some sleep at my apartment in Metropolis but I need to know you'll be safe."

"I know how to conceal my powers if that's what you mean. Kryptonians are wanted across the universe you know," she assured him.

"Please don't leave the farm until I come back. You still need to adapt to Earth life." Superman didn't give her time to argue as he took off into the night's sky. Kara watched him leave until he disappeared over the horizon before walking towards the farmhouse. _There's no chance of that happening._

xxXxx

The morning broke into the sterile room and woke Lex Luthor. He had moved out of his old mansion in Smallville a long time ago, deciding that it contained too many memories- of both good and bad. Now he lived in the higher side of Metropolis with Lana in a penthouse apartment, a short drive from LexCorp Tower. The brunette lay next to him and he turned over to watch her sleep. She breathed gently, facing away from her multi billionaire boyfriend, her long brown hair spread over the pillow. _She looks so peaceful._

After lingering a moment longer, Lex rose from his bed and got dressed. Lana slept on as he left their bedroom without looking back. Things had settled so much into routine with them that Lex knew it would be unnecessary for him to wake her, she would come through at her own time. Breakfast had already been prepared and the bald man sat over his English muffin reading a dossier on his campaign partner's speech. A noise from across the room alerts him and he looked up. Lana stood at the threshold of the room and entered. "Morning."

Lex rose to meet her kiss and asked how she was. "Good thanks. Are you ready for it all to begin?" She replied, taking a muffin for herself.

"I sent Flynn Matterson the plan for his speech last night. If my people have managed what they claim they have, I can't see it going wrong," Lex summarised, not looking up from document. "The only issue is I couldn't block The Daily Planet's monkey reporters from attending. Their new editor has been driving an anti-LexCorp line for months now, unlike the rest of the pocketed press."

"At least you know Lois Lane is unlikely to be there," Lana said, looking at her boyfriend as she held the latest issue of The Daily Planet out in front of her. Lex read it quickly and slammed his fist on the table, knocking over his plate and sending orange juice all over the surface. He snatched the paper from Lana's hand and stood in one fluid motion before storming toward the exit.

"I'll see you at the press conference. I have to deal with this," shouted Lex back to his partner, before climbing into the awaiting lift.

Lana sat back and sighed, weakly making an attempt to clean up after her boyfriend. _I hate it when he's like this. I love him so much, but he needs to control the dark anger inside of him._ Rising out of her seat to get changed out of her orange juice soaked clothes, the ex girl next door decided to try to change Lex; to make him her ideal man that she knew she could love.

xxXxx

While _I Fooled Around and Fell in Love by Elvin Bishop_ blared out from his stereo, Clark was getting dressed into a dark blue almost black suit with simple, classic white shirt underneath, covering up his costume. He was in a fantastic mood, having had a great night's sleep after discovering the existence of his cousin Kara Zor-El and had just enjoyed the most refreshing shower. He was also about to start his first day at the Daily Planet, working alongside his best friend Chloe. Clark had been anxious about applying in the first place, having being forced to by the aforementioned blonde, but now he was more than ready to begin.

The job was perfect for him. It was had flexible hours and good benefits. The workload could be however much he chose, depending on how prominent he wanted his role to become. It was the best paper in the world and Clark was privileged to work there. It was even based in the centre of the city, becoming the hub of what was occurring right that instant in Metropolis. For a superhero, that was very useful; it provided enough people for him to blend into and gave him the heads up for when The Man of Steel was needed. The most important reason, however, was the success wasn't guaranteed. Unlike a career in sports or in science or many other jobs, Clark couldn't use his powers to write a hard-hitting story. _This job makes me human._

A sharp buzzing sounded from the kitchen table-top as Clark's phone vibrated, interrupting the man while he was tying a Windsor knot on his plain red tie. He let both ends drop as he walked over and picked up the device. It was a text from Chloe saying that she was downstairs waiting for him and that he should get his super speed on.

Chloe immediately regretted her choice of words as Clark sped into the lobby, sending a rush of wind around the room. The blonde jumped a little in surprise and tried to fix her wind blown hair a little. "Clark! I'm never gonna get used to your sudden appearances," she huffed, annoyed more at herself for indirectly causing her hair issues.

"Sorry, I would have been down sooner, but I had to tie my tie," smirked Clark, now wearing polished shoes and holding a briefcase.

"Twenty-two years of age and you still can't do it properly," laughed Chloe, reaching up to pull the tie tighter to the collar and straightening it a little. "I know what you're thinking, don't you dare say it."

"I don't know what you mean Chloe," gasped Clark, feigning innocence as he opened the door of his building to let the blonde out. "I just thought you would have brought a step ladder by now," he grinned.

Chloe smacked him on the arm, "Shut up, not all of us are freakishly tall. If I were you, I wouldn't annoy me, because I've got a bone to pick with you," said Chloe, diving into her satchel and rummaged around inside of it.

"Actually Chloe, I have something I need to tell-"

The blonde interrupted him, returning a second later with a newspaper in her hand. She held it out to Clark for him too see, "Explain."

She had an issue of The Daily Planet in her hands and Clark dropped his mouth in shock went he read the headline.

"I spent the night with Superman." Clark snatched it from Chloe's hand and speed-read the article. "I can kind of explain that," he blushed, avoiding Chloe's eyes.

"You didn't! You actually kissed Lois Lane? My cousin, the woman who you said was bossy and mean and you couldn't stand?" Laughed Chloe.

"I was in high school then Chloe, you can hardly blame me," Clark defended himself.

"Sure, sure. It was all flirting in my book," the blonde smirked. The pair walked around the corner onto the block that contained the world's greatest newspaper. The streets bustled with people, ducking in and out of the road, cars bared their horns and noise filled the air. Clark looked up, taken up by the whole atmosphere, completely forgetting the witty remark he had thought of to counter his best friend.

"Wow," he breathed. His fascination was cut short however, by an old woman walking into him. Clark absorbed the contact and they both fell over. Chloe suppressed herself from laughing as Clark's briefcase fell open and about a million papers fell out of it. In the meantime, the woman's shopping bag also emptied itself onto the cold pavement.

"What the bloody hell are you doing, you idiot?" She cursed, picking herself up and trying to gather the oranges that were currently rolling toward the gutter.

"I am so sorry, ma'am, I wasn't looking where I was going," bumbled Clark, pushing his glasses back up his nose. Chloe had managed to stop laughing enough to start collecting his spilt documents from the sidewalk.

"You're not from here are you?" The old woman asked, having restored to her full height and clutching her brown bag between both arms.

"No he's not," Chloe intruded, saving Clark, who had just about gathered every loose item from his briefcase. "And he's just about to start his first day at the most read paper in the world, so he simply must get going," she grinned, imitating the old woman's accent a little.

"Good luck with that," she grumbled, tootling off.

"Thank you," replied Clark waving her off, pretending he was unaware of her sarcasm.

"Yeah you've got the whole dork thing down," teased Chloe, finally stepping in front of the famous building.

"Here we go," said Clark, taking in the gravity of the situation. He opened the door and let his best friend enter first.

"Morning Lou," Chloe greeted the receptionist standing behind a desk.

"Morning Chloe," he beamed. "Who's this you've dragged in kicking and screaming?" He joked, pointing at Clark.

"Clark Kent," Clark introduced himself, holding out his hand. In the process he knocked the plant pot off the countertop and flailed about in catching it. He saved it just before it smashed on the floor.

"He's a little clumsy, but more than competent," laughed Chloe, still getting over the new disguise. The two men shook hands in the meantime.

Suddenly Clark jumped as Lou produced a camera out of nowhere and took a photo. Downloading it into his computer and speedily printing out a Press Pass like a well-oiled machine, the receptionist handed it to Clark. "Thanks Lou."

"That'll get you in and out of the building as well as giving access to press only areas," informed Lou. "You should stop in with the editor before finding your place in the bullpen."

The pair made to leave before Lou called them back, "Chloe, you need to see Chief too."

"Thanks again Lou," she said. "Always a pleasure."

As they waited for the lift, Clark looked over his picture on the Press Pass and grimaced. They stepped inside the elevator once it had arrived and Chloe pressed the button for the top floor.

"Don't worry, mine's probably worse," she assured him. "Before you ask, no you don't get to see it."

"Shame," Clark grinned. "Any ideas why the big man wants to see you?"

"Nope, probably found something to moan about though," Chloe huffed. "Are you nervous to meet the boss?"

"Not really, I've met him before remember," Clark said, as the doors opened to reveal the top floor. They walked across the hall and stopped in front of the threshold of the office. "Here goes nothing," grinned Clark, knocking on Perry White's door.

xxXxx

Kara woke up naturally in a bedroom of the farmhouse, wrapped up in covers. She had managed to enter the building by finding the spare key located under the porch with her x-ray vision. She sat up, rubbed her eyes and took in her surroundings. She was in Clark's old room, which was slightly emptier since he had moved to Metropolis. Smallville's team's colours of red and yellow hung about the room from her cousin's football days and an Elmer Fudd lamp sat in the corner. Kara walked over to his desk and looked at the three framed photos that sat on it. The first was one of him and his parents, Martha and Jonathan either side of him, crouching together in front of a tractor. _He had a perfect loving family to mentor and care for him._ The next was a shot of Clark at graduation, dressed in his gown, alongside a blonde girl and a boy with a shaved head. They were laughing at something together. _He had friends to rely on, to trust. _The last one was of Clark dressed in a suit and he was in some kind of embrace with a brunette girl in a dress. His hand was on her hip and her's on his shoulder and they were gazing into one another's eyes. _Who is this? Were Clark and this woman partners?_

Kara walked away from the desk and dressed herself back into her traditional Kryptonian clothes. She had realised that they didn't fit in at all with Earth's various fashions and if she was going to blend in she was going to have to find some new clothes. But she would worry about that later. For now the blonde walked downstairs, looking for something to eat. She was so tired the night before that she didn't bother to feed herself but now there was no way she could ignore the feeling in her gut. _Where do humans keep food?_

She wondered around the house looking for any sign of something to eat, yawning as she went. The Iron Maiden hadn't gotten much sleep despite her energy levels. She had rolled around in bed, tossing and turning, picturing one moment in her mind from the day before. It was the look of terror etched upon the young passenger in that car as the spacecraft plummeted towards him. She could remember his scream of terror and of pain after the accident. Even with the knowledge that Kal had rescued him, she had to know that he was safe and recovering.

"Yes!" Kara congratulated herself on finding a single dusty glass jar at the back of the highest cupboard in the kitchen. During her time on Mars she had heard many stories about how great their neighborly planet's cuisine was and Kara was more than ready to experience it herself. She easily undid the strange lid contraption and dipped her fingers into the liquid. The blonde plucked out a single green vegetable and held in between two fingers in front of her face, studying it intently. She opened her mouth and popped it in.

Kara bent over double, coughing hard and spitting the foul green thing out. _By the holy Book of Rao, that's disgusting!_ Having finished spluttering all over the kitchen, Kara grabbed the jar and read the label: _Pickled Gherkins. Well I'm never eating that again._

Leaving the unopened jar on the counter-top, The Iron Maiden strode out of the farmhouse, having made up her mind. _I'm going to find out what happened to that man and hopefully find something to eat on the way._

xxXxx

**Author's Note: Thanks for taking the time to read and for all the reviews. They really motivate me write so please keep sending them in with your thoughts (good or bad) and/or questions. I posted a longer chapter tonight because it's been roughly a month since I posted the first chapter. It's a mini anniversary for me. I've really enjoyed doing this for you guys and I never anticipated this kind of response to be honest. Here's to many more months! Cheers!**


	12. Chapter 12

Clark rapped his knuckles on the Chief Editor's door and waited for him and Chloe to be summoned inside. He looked at her anxiously as he heard some loud muttering from inside: "The Washington Post want it. ABC want it. Even that piece of trash The Daily Mail want it. Everyone wants our picture of Superman and we're not giving it up. Great Caesar's Ghost! Who wants to see me now?" The great editor opened his door with a look that would kill most people. Chloe beamed at him, not fitting into that category in the slightest.

"Morning Chief," she greeted brightly, knowing full well about his hatred of the nickname that Lois had given him. It had become a little game of theirs to see how many times they could sneak it into conversation.

"Morning Miss Sullivan. Stop calling me Chief," rebutted Mr White, walking back into his office while the pair of intrepid reporters followed.

"Sure thing, Chief," Chloe grinned. She turned and gestured at Clark, "Mr White, this is Clark Kent- our newest hire. Clark this is your editor and the man who from now on runs your life, Perry White."

"A pleasure to be working for you Mr White," Clark said, reaching out and taking Mr White's hand.

"Thank you for joining us Mr Kent. Miss Sullivan here raved about you before we hired you, so I hope you live up to your expectations," declared Mr White, breaking the handshake and returning to his desk.

"I plan to Chief," smiled Clark, looking at Chloe, who winked at him.

"Dont-" Mr White sighed, "what's the point? I'm sticking you with Miss Lane in the bullpen. She just wrote the infamous Superman article that caused our paper to sell out by 9:30 this morning across the country and could break it big if she carries on this way. But she tends to get herself into trouble and needs someone to keep her grounded and stop her running off into tricky situations that could get her hurt. That job falls on your shoulders Mr Kent. Do you think you could do that for me?"

_Sounds like Lois. _"Certainly Chief," Clark assured the editor.

"You're a brave man, Kent. She made her last two partners cry multiple times and one of them decided to leave Metropolis."

"A bit of a slave driver?" said Clark, knowing full well of her bossy, demanding ways.

"To say the least. She has balls and will run down anyone in her way if she has to. I quite like that about her, but don't tell her I said that. Can you handle Miss Lane?" Mr White dared his newest employee.

"Consider it done," replied Clark cooly, glad her Lois' boss respected her.

"Good. For now however, I need you at Lex Luthor's Press conference. I'm throwing you in the deep end with this one Kent; do **not **fail me or you'll be doing nothing more than photocopying and coffee runs for the rest of your career," Mr White challenged.

"Received and understood," said Clark, gripping his briefcase nervously and pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Get moving then, it starts in half an hour!" shouted Mr White suddenly, startling both Chloe and Clark.

"Yes Chief," Clark mumbled, making his way out the office as quickly as humanely possible.

"Great Caesar's ghost, even the newbies call me that now," the Chief muttered. "Ah, Sullivan, I see a confused look on your face."

"Yes," started Chloe, sitting down opposite the older man. "I thought that Luthor Conference would be right on my beat, considering my head of politics gig after all?"

"Yes that's true, but you already have something lined up for you this morning," responded Perry White, standing up and walking in front of his window dramatically.

_Always one for melodrama is Perry White. _"And what would that be Chief?" asked Chloe, her interest piqued.

"Queen Industries got in touch this morning, offering us an exclusive interview with their CEO Oliver Queen," Mr White continued.

"What would that playboy have to do with me?" Chloe wondered aloud, her eyebrows furrowing.

"They only offered the interview if you were the one conducting it, Miss Sullivan," Perry turned and looked straight at her, smirking.

"Oh," managed Chloe, surprised.

"Yes, so you better get moving because if were going to keep this contact open, we need you at your best. Go home and get ready for Star City's most eligible bachelor. You're going have to bring your A game to lunch with Mr Queen," the editor dismissed his reporter, turning away with flair.

"Certainly Chief," Chloe smiled, getting up and leaving. _Such a drama queen,_ as she heard him proclaim to the Phantom of the great emperor Julius for the eighth time that morning.

xxXxx

Victor broke out of sleep, sat up and screamed. He couldn't see; he couldn't feel. Lines of coding ran before his eyes, suddenly making sense. He had never used a computer for anything other than school projects before and now he could see and understand the deepest levels of software. _But I'm not on a computer. My eyes are shut and I'm lying in bed. _The data was telling him that tubes were coming out of his body left, right and centre and there was an alarm blaring out loudly. _That thing is too noisy, could someone please turn it off? _

Before he had even finished that thought, Victor felt his mind diving into the nether. He seemed to brush his way through wall after wall until he reached a room that contained a single switch. He walked forward gingerly and stared at it. Nothing moved, all was still. It was just him, the alarm and that switch. Victor reached out and flipped it. The alarm stopped instantly and he felt himself being sucked back out of the cyberspace that he was consumed in. _What the hell was that?_

Victor's vision broke apart for a moment and then static fuzzed across his mind. Suddenly his sight was restored and the man saw for the first time. Before him stood a cyborg, his left arm still human but the whole right hand side of his body was metal. The flesh of his hand ran along his face, now made of metal. _Dear God, that thing is me..._

Cyborg's eye grew red and suddenly Victor could feel everything. His body was on fire and his head felt like it was tearing itself apart from the amount of information that it was processing. His emotions fought with the constant stream of data pouring through his conscience. Victor screamed again as his right arm transformed into a gun. The metallic man yelled as his vision changed to bright colours, three shapes of red and orange emerging from within the mirror that covered the whole of one wall. _I'm seeing infrared. Those are people on the other side!_

"What have you done to me?" Victor screamed at the mirror he now knew was a looking glass for the scientists. He fired his sonic cannon, shattering the glass. Shards rained down on him, not even scratching the cyborg as they bounced off his hardened steel. Victor heard the cries of horror coming from the lab as he tried to remove himself from the tubes that were anchoring him. _I have to get out of here now._

Cyborg's strength died away and he fell to his knees. One of the scientist had cut off his power and Victor slowly felt himself shutting down. He fell on his side and waited for the darkness to come. A single tear of oil ran down his face as the man collapsed himself into the fetal position. "Why couldn't you just let me die?" he cried as his world turned midnight black.

xxXxx

**Author's note: Thanks for reading! And to anyone who followed, favourited and/or reviewed, I am so grateful. Your feedback is everything in motivating me. I really enjoyed writing this chapter as I feel as though we are really starting to touch on the roots of Superman with Clark Kent's exploits at The Daily Planet. Also the more I write about Victor and Kara, the more excited I get about their characters and potential plot lines. And I'm sorry it's late, I had to edit it and I may have gone out thinking I would have time to do it later. I was wrong!**

**Anyway, thanks again and happy Easter even if I am a tad late on that too! It feels so good to be eating chocolate again after lent... Cheers!**


	13. Chapter 13

Kara determinedly walked out to the front of the drive of the Kent's farm and stopped to take in the cornfields that surrounded her. _Is this all humans do? Grow disgusting plants?_ She focused her hearing to locate the nearest town so that she could begin her search for the young gentleman in the car. She turned left and sped off, running a couple of miles in a few milliseconds before arriving at the centre of Smallville. Not much had changed since Clark had endured his high school days, being a slow-moving town that it is, and The Maiden of Might was attracted to a place named "The Talon."

It reminded her of some of the old info-bits she had seen of Earth back on Krypton. She remembered that humans supposedly went to these places to watch portals which depicted lands of a fantastical nature. People paid to watch other people fall in love, other people die and animals talk and do stupid things. Human's imaginations fascinated Kara and so she decided that this would be her first place to go.

The blonde pushed her way through the door, careful not to punch straight through the glass. _Everything is so fragile on this planet._ Kara stopped still as soon as she took a look around at the place. It was still the coffee shop that Lana had lovingly cared for when she was younger. It had grown into the high school hangout in Smallville and was currently full of students. Some of the furniture was ragged and beaten and there were the odd cracks in the walls but it still had the same warm atmosphere that it had possessed a decade earlier. It was not what Kara expected to find at all.

_What is this place?_ A few of the jocks turned and faced the Kryptonian, taking in her curves which were on show very clearly as a result of the traditional clothes she wore. Ignoring them, Kara walked further into the Talon and walked up to the serving counter. "Have you got anything to eat?" She asked the adolescent server sweetly.

He blushed, obviously not used to such beauty giving him any attention. "Err. Yeah. Sure. We, err, have a large range of cakes and other snacks. We also do sandwiches and paninis," he stuttered.

_Why is he so nervous?_ "Great, I'll take all those round things there and five paneeenis?" She pointed at the clear glass, indicating towards a plateful of cookies.

"Certainly," managed the lad, slightly taken aback by her order. He collected all of the cookies and out them in a bag before putting on five paninis in the toaster. He went over to the cash register and added up the total before announcing it to the blonde. "How are you going to pay for this? Card or cash?"

Before answering, Kara spun round to she who had just placed a hand on her backside. A sleazy jock leaned over and grinned before looking at the server. "Where have you been hiding this beauty, Brian?"

"Leave her alone, Chase. She doesn't want your greasy fingers all over her," Brian retorted.

"No, it's Ok Brian," Kara smiled looking back over her shoulder. "It's always nice for someone to introduce themselves to the new girl." The blonde looked the jock straight in the eyes, giving him a seductive look. Chase's mouth dropped open as he made his way forward towards her. Kara let him get in close, kissing him gently on the cheek before leaning up to his height. "It really takes a lot of balls," she whispered in his ear before flicking him in the crotch. Chase cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground before rolling about in agony. "Wow, all that from a little poke to the crotch," Kara joked, bending over and plucking the jock's wallet from his pocket. "I thought they grew you country boys on tougher stuff," Kara laughed as he got up and waddled out of the coffee shop, the rest of the crowd jeering. She turned back to Brian, who had a massive grin on his face. "Here, take all this and keep the change," she beamed, trading a fistful of notes for her order. Brian made no arguments as he accepted over a hundred dollars and put it in the cash register. "Give this back to him when he crawls back," Kara said, putting the wallet into the tip jar.

"Sure thing," Brian replied gaining confidence. "Can I do anything else for you?"

"Yes, actually. What do you know about the car crash that occurred last night?" Asked Kara, taking out a panini out of the bag that Brian had given her and inspecting it.

"Yeah, the one besides Miller's field?" Brian said, ignoring the queue of customers building up behind the blonde.

"Yes, from last night," continued The Maiden of Might, taking a bite of the sandwich. Her face exploded into ecstacy as her taste buds rang with flavour. "By The Book of Rao, this is incredible. You deserve great critical acclaim for this invention Brian!" She exclaimed.

Brian burst out laughing at her enthusiasm for a sandwich. _This girl's a little odd... _"Thank you?" He managed, his voice peaking towards the end. "The crash was weird. the car was found this morning with no driver or passengers inside and there was a large crater next to it, also empty. Although to be honest, by Smallville's standards, this is faily normal," the server summed up.

"Oh, weird. So there was no-one in the car? No one injured?" Kara asked between mouthfuls.

"Nope. Personally, I think Superman was involved. I mean, who could clear up so quickly and leave no trace? Did you see what he did in Metropolis?" Brian hypothesised, astonished by Kara's rapid eating- for she was already on her second panini.

"Maybe," Kara munched, "If there were any people in the car and they got hurt in the crash, where would they go?"

"The hospital probably, considering the wreck that was left of the car."

"What's a hospital?" Kara asked, stumped. She was stunned by the response she received, for the whole coffee shop seemed to burst out laughing because they had been unashamedly been eavesdropping the entire exchange.

"You're not from around here are you?" Brian joked. _Oh you have no idea. _"It's where you treat sick people. Surely you've seen one or been to one?"_  
_

"Of course. Sorry I miss-heard you the first time," Kara lied. "Anyway, thanks for everything. I've got to go, I'll see you again sometime."

"No worries," Brian replied,,watching the Blonde start to leave the coffee shop. "Can I have you number?" He called out after her. But her was too late, the Maiden of Might had already left.

xxXxx

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading and reviewing! Particular shout out to Ica013 for all the reviews and ****recommendations. My revision has suffered quiet a bit haha!**

**Anyway, I felt as though we needed a chapter that was slightly lighter considering Victor's predicament in the post before. So please tell me if it was alright or not as I had several second thoughts about it. Next I think Clark will come head to head with Lex at the Press Conference or maybe Chloe interviews Oliver. I haven't decided yet! Thanks again for reading and I am very grateful to anyone that reviewed too. Cheers!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chloe was annoyed at the fact that she was returning to her apartment twenty minutes after leaving it with Clark earlier that morning. She tried to ignore his invitation to Lois burnt on her front door as she let herself inside but still laughed at the absurdity of it. The apartment was exactly the same as when she had left it before. The blonde immediately walked over to her coffee machine and turned it on before swiping a waffle off the table and taking a bite. Suddenly she remembered who had made those waffles and she jammed her hand into her pocket to check for the hundredth time that morning that the plastic bag containing the hair was still in place.

Chloe had struggled to stop thinking about her hooded hero since the night before. Half of it was the reporter's instinct in her, constantly wanting to know more information. But the other half was the simple fact that she was attracted to him. She noticed that he was about a foot taller than herself and judging by the blonde hair that she had been carrying around in her pocket, they shared the same colour hair. _I've always been into guys with darker hair, but I can definitely change. _Like most of the men in her life, he was a hero and she presumed that he held the same principles that she did. He was lightly tanned, a natural glow to his skin and his smile was captivating. While Chloe hadn't heard his real voice yet, the distorter turned her on. _I've always found myself attracted to the unknown and the danger that comes with it. Not to mention his fantastic body..._

Chloe shook her head and tried to snap out of it. She had been leaning on the breakfast bar for over five minutes and now she grabbed at the rapidly cooling coffee- hoping it would stop her from her fantasies. She took a long drink of the brown liquid and shut her eyes in pleasure. Despite the large amounts that the petite blonde drank, she didn't stop to truly taste it enough. _Heaven in a cup._

"So what are you trying to forget?" Lois queried, striding out of her room and reaching up to fetch a mug from the cabinet.

"I'm sorry, what?" Chloe asked, shocked. She turned to face her cousin who had finished pouring herself a black coffee and looked up to meet Chloe's eyes.

"You only breathe in your coffee when you're in bliss or you're trying to forget something. Considering you're back in our tiny apartment less than half an hour after leaving it, I'm guessing you're not in paradise," Lois summed up, a smug look coming over her face.

"Firstly, why are you up? You were up all night and even I, the queen of all-nighters, would struggle to work after only twenty minutes sleep in twenty-four hours," Chloe pointed out, raising her eyebrows and tipping her head slightly.

"That's true, but I rolled around for those aforementioned twenty minutes and gave up on the whole resting idea. Maybe I'll get an IV drip feeding me coffee just to keep me awake. Maybe I'm trying to knock you off your throne," Lois joked, walking over to the sofa and flopping onto it- carefully not spilling any.

"No chance of that happening," Chloe laughed, joining her roommate. "Also, I'm not trying to forget anyone. I just have an opportunity to relax before my important lunch later," shrugged the blonde, dipping into her coffee to avoid Lois' gaze. _She can always tell when I'm lying.__  
_

"Your big lunch? That's why you're back isn't it?" Lois exclaimed raising her hands in the air to emphasise her point. However, this soon turned into a yawn that forced Lois into a long stretch.

"Yeah. It's with that playboy Oliver Queen," Chloe rolled her eyes. While she certainly didn't read the tabloids, Chloe knew about his drunken bachelor ways. They were infamous.

"Hold up. You're telling me you have an exclusive interview with **the Oliver** **Queen**, voted world's sexiest man for the last three years, and you didn't blurt it to me as soon as you walked through the door?" Lois cried, excited for and annoyed at her cousin.**  
**

"Well, I thought you'd be asleep, Lo," Chloe countered. "And our apartment is cozy and sweet, not tiny."

"I bet his bedroom is twice the size of this place," stated Lois, getting up from the couch and walking across the apartment away from Chloe. "You'll probably be able to vouch for that tomorrow." Lois spun around and winked before going into her roommate's bedroom.

"Hey! You know that I'm not going to do that," shouted Chloe, also raising from the sofa and chasing after Lois. "What are you doing?"

"I am sorting out an outfit that not only will give you the ability to tell me whether he like pulp in his orange juice or not, but will result in you becoming a Queen," Lois trailed off, her head deep in Chloe's wardrobe.

"I'm not going to sleep with him Lois!" Chloe responded weakly, sitting down on her bed.

"Ah ha! You are going to blow his socks, and maybe pants, off with this," Lois shouted, twirling around and holding up the offending piece of clothing. It was a bold purple gown, which Chloe reserved for high-brow events and had only used it once so far.

"No way. I'm going for lunch with him, not ballroom dancing," Chloe said bluntly, taking off the clothes that she was currently wearing.

"How about this then?" Lois asked cheekily, showing Chloe a skimpy nurses outfit that she had been forced to wear for Halloween by Lois last year.

"No chance," Chloe smirked, grabbing the costume and stuffing it back into place. "I can't believe I even kept that."

Lois looked the blonde up and down. "You're going to wear better underwear than that right? Don't want to be embarrassed when he sees your granny panties."

"For the last time, I'm not gonna sleep with him." Chloe had had enough of Lois' insinuations and placed both of her hands on her cousin's upper arms and forcibly pushed her out of her from her room. Lois put up a weak protest but allowed herself to be removed.

"I get the last say on the final outfit!" She yelled through the door before stomping off.

Chloe sighed and undressed herself fully before pulling on a matching pair of underwear. _Lois can be such a stroppy __teenager sometimes. _The petite blonde grinned. For all her faults, she couldn't help loving her cousin. She may be brash, rude and sometimes annoying but she was fiercely loyal to her friends and particularly her family and she was certainly someone you want around in a crisis.

Then it occurred to her. She knew what she was going to wear instantly. The blonde dived towards the back of her closet and came out with a green leather jacket that she had almost forgotten she owned. She grabbed a simple patterned tunic and a pair of black, tightly fitting kakis. Looking in the mirror after dressing once again, Chloe thought she looked professional, simple but gorgeous at the same time. It was perfect.

Chloe sorted out a couple of last minute details before leaving her room. She fixed her makeup and her hair before brushing her teeth, singing the Lily Allen part of _Just be good to Green by Professor Green feat Lily Allen _into her toothbrush. The young reporter still had a couple of hours to kill and decided to go for an almond mocha at the coffee shop on her block to get her instincts buzzing. The blonde leaned against the door, steadying herself for the onslaught that Lois was about to give her before pushing it open. She burst out laughing at the sight that met her eyes.

Lois was asleep, passed out like a toddler on the sofa. Chloe reached for the phone in her cousin's hands and set an alarm so that she wouldn't be too late for work. She grabbed a blanket and put it over her cousin, tucking her in. She wrote a short note and left it on the breakfast bar for Lois to find later and grabbed her bag before heading for the front door. Chloe took one look back and grinned at Lois sleep-arguing with herself about the importance of having a charismatic sponge to play golf with before leaving to continue her day.

xxXxx

John Corben woke up and took in his surroundings. He was in a fully furnished room, complete with a king-sized bed, fridge and T.V. He tried to remember how he got here but suddenly his thought process stopped. He had a mission. It was the only that mattered now. It seemed to come from nowhere but now it was his number one priority. He got up, his posture perfect, and strode over to his door. He opened it and emerged into the rain. His was aboard a cargo ship that had been taken over by terrorists. It was rocking violently as a storm tore itself apart above him. The rain fell incessantly and waves crashed against the hull, sending spray onto the deck. The terrorists had taken hostages and were trying to steal a weapon of mass destruction.

Corben supersped across the deck and slammed through two metal containers. They flew high into the sky and overboard, plunging into the ocean. He turned to the five insurgents holding ten workers at gunpoint and stared. They scrambled into position and opened fire. John didn't even hesitate to walk forward, bullets rebounding off his skin. He reached the first gunman and snatched his firearm from him. He snapped the barrel off and drove the newly sharped end into the retreating terrorist's stomach before throwing him over board. Corben pummelled his fist into the ground, sending a shock wave that knocked all the remaining insurgents to the floor. He zoomed around, stamping on their windpipes one by one and they all lay dead before the hostages had even recovered.

Sharp bursts of sound broke the night as the deck was lit up by gunfire and lightning. Metal capsules rained down upon the cyborg, killing six of the hostages. Corben ignored them and charged toward the upper deck. He leapt up high and grabbed onto the cool metal edge. His fingers didn't slip nor slide as he bent the metal to give him better grip. One gunman leant over and rinsed his back with bullets. John barely felt them, only the sound they made alerting him to the fact that he was subject to attack. This made him angrier and he swung his body to get momentum before bringing his arms down. The whole upper was torn in half as the terrorist fell to their death. Now the room containing the nuclear bomb lay exposed in front of him.

Corben lept up the two storeys separating him from his goal in a single bound. Once he arrived he saw two final gunmen at the back of the room, standing next to the bomb. The one of the right of him opened fire but Corben didn't even bother to stop him with his hand. His chest glowed green and a beam shot out, tearing the man in half. He screamed in agony as John sped over to the last criminal. He seized his throat and held it aloft, squeezing. The greasy man didn't choke however, but grinned as he brought up the detonator and pushed the button.

An explosion of magnificent proportions tore through the space. A brighter light imaginable shone true and when it disappeared there was nothing left. The ship had been blown into tissue paper; the sea had stopped and the storm had disappeared. Dust settled and all was silent. A crash broke through the quiet as John Corben emerged from the side of the wall he had been embedded in. Suddenly it all dawned on him.

_Oh my god what the hell is this place? What happened to me? What is this coming out of my chest? Jesus Christ! My heart, where has it gone? What did I do to deserve this? Who decided that they could play God and do this to me? I can't stand it. I'm not even human anymore. I'm a freak. I deserve to die. I can't live this way._

John screamed out into the empty warehouse and placed his hands on his chest, gripping onto the chamber in order to pull it out but his suicidal actions were cut short. He stopped dead; dropped his head and made no more noise. Over on the other side of the space a door opened and an assortment of people walked out. They clambered over the debris and finally reached Corben, still stood straight. Two scientist surveyed the scene as John was packed up into a box and carted off.

"He still can't stand what he has become, Dr Ryan," one of the scientists reported.

"Yes, Alice, that's true. But look at what we have achieved. He is unstoppable."

"But he killed all twenty people on this ship. And if I recall correctly, we told them that if they set off the bomb that it would shut him down rather than explode. We didn't construct these scenarios to take lives," replied Alice, disgusted by what lay before her.

"None of that matters. They signed up to that when they got involved with Luthor," Dr Ryan finished, turning away and walking back towards the door. "We found out that he can withstand almost anything and our control over him grows every time we use him. Soon he'll forget who he was to begin with."

"And what then? We send him to destroy Metropolis? When do we draw the line? When do we stop?"

"Once Superman lies dead."

xxXxx

**Author's note: Thanks to everyone for reading and the review I got, I'm very grateful. ****I do have to apologise because I said I would do either Oliver's interview or the press conference but I lied. I'm sorry! **I didn't intend to write either of these scenes but I love the easy banter that flows between Lois and Chloe and what started out as a little piece of fluff turned into a whole chapter. Also, I really wanted to build up Metallo so that the upcoming showdown is epic between him and Superman. Next is definitely the press conference though! Anyway, thanks for reading and the follows/favourites. They really motivate me to write more. Cheers!


	15. Chapter 15

Clark stared out of the window as his cab pulled up outside his destination. Lex Corp Tower stood above him and seemed to go on forever. Pane after pane of glass stacked on top of each other made up the impressive structure and the farmer's son was blown away by it. The cabbie had to shout at him to get his attention and his fare. Clark made his apologies and paid the man before climbing out of the car and standing on the street. He made his way to the back of the rabble of reporters surrounding the entrance and subtly pushed his way towards the front of the crowd in order to get a good seat. While he waited, Clark took in how many people had actually turned up. The Washington Post; The Star City Gazette; Coast City Daily and many other American papers were present along with various news stations. The international turnout had been impressive also, with esteemed papers such as The Times and Le Monde as well as the BBC news crew making an appearance. People from all around the world had arrived to hear Lex Luthor speak about his new interest in government.

_That's the issue though. Lex has always been interested in power; but never looked to gain it politically. He preferred to steal it away from the naive or manipulate the weak or blackmail the vulnerable. This sudden public grab for power wasn't in his nature nor his style. Why the sudden change? _Clark was stumped. However, his pondering was cut short when the glass doors finally opened and the anxious journalists poured in.

Despite his superhuman strength, Clark found himself being pulled along by the crowd and when he finally made it through the impressive hallways to the auditorium, he was glad to find a seat in the forth row with a decent view of the stage. He subtly popped open the brass clasps on his briefcase and dropped it so that a few of the papers inside fell out onto the floor. The mild mannered reporter could hear several scoffs and tutting from the people around him as he bent down to pick up the scattered articles although he struggled to contain his smile as he realised his plan was working. _Superman can be the face of truth and justice but Clark Kent must remain an enigma._

Clark took his seat just in time for the lights to dim slightly and the conference to start. In front of the reporters was a large stage that has two podiums on the far left and right. The colour scheme is red white and blue and there are banners promoting the pair of candidates: Flynn Matterson and his Vice-President-to-be Lex Luthor. An announcer strode onto the stage and addressed the audience, speaking high praises of the two men who were supposedly best to run the country. Clark ignored him and used his x-ray vision to see through the curtain at the side of the stage, shielding the group about to enter.

Lex was lecturing Flynn, who was cowering under the intensity of the bald man's words. _It seems as though Lex is the one in charge of this whole arrangement. Why isn't he running for President?_ Meanwhile, Lana attemptedto make uncomfortable smalltalk with Matterson's wife- a taller, stick-thin woman in her forties. Before Clark can tune his hearing to listen in on Lex's harsh words, the whole room is filled with applause as the host finishes and gestures for the two couples to make their way onto the stage.

To the blind eye, the couples look like any strong political force. The two men smiling wide, public grins while their wives show their support and wave also. The room became a frenzy of activity as cameras flashed and reporters babbled. They all went quiet simultaneously as the Luthors and Matterson's wife took a seat as Flynn started the proceedings. None of them see the facade that is the political pair- apart from Clark.

Flynn Matterson looked like the perfect American leader. He seemed wise and safe in age rather than weak and still has some good looks that have carried him through his life so far. He stood straight and directed the crowd openly and easily. Laughter broke out as he cracked a light-hearted joke that Clark doesn't pay attention to. Instead he watched Flynn and Lex closely.

Matterson kept looking back at the bald-headed man nervously while the audience laughed or applauded, as if he was not really the man in charge. He subtlety fidgeted with his papers, his smile seemed a little forced at times and his intonation changed slightly as if he was unsure of what he is exactly saying. To the untrained eye, he seemed perfectly natural. But Clark knew that something is off and doesn't need to look far to find the cause. Lex's eyes never leave Flynn's back, constantly trained on each of his actions. He never reacted unless obviously cued, other than that, he wore a mask of analysis. He was clearly the puppet master. But the press didn't care. They ignorantly lapped up the publicity from Luthor's plaything and refused to see the real situation. _Lex's 'investments' must be working._ Flynn Matterson was a poster boy; everyone's ideal but also thinly spread and easily removed. Lex was the wall holding it up, the power house behind the image.

Finally Matterson finished, triumphantly raising his fist stating his powerful slogan before turning around and introducing Lex Luthor to the stage. The whole room exploded into applause as Flynn retreated back to his place next to his wife, meeting the multi-billionaire on the way and shaking his hand before taking his seat. Lex grins for the cameras and strode for the podium. Lana watched her husband start his journey for power proudly, clapping with the crowd and beaming after him. Lex gripped the edges of the raised platform with each hand before starting his speech. The crowd was silent now, hanging onto every word.

"Citizens of Metropolis and America, I'd like to express my gratitude to you all for this valuable opportunity. To be part of the greatest democratic system in the world is an honour and I hope to uphold the strong American Values that have made this country the strongest," The crowd broke into whistles and clapping once again and the bald-headed man waited for them to finish before continuing.

"Mr Matterson went over our main policies very briefly before me, so I won't bother boring you with a repeat act. However, I would like to draw your attention to one matter. Humanity. We are the smartest species on this planet, the most evolved, the most physically fit. We deserve to stand up straight and take whatever opportunities present themselves to us. Being a scientific man myself, I tend to lean toward education and discovery."

Lex seemed to take a deep breath, his eyes flitting around the room- analysing the reaction to what he was saying. People bobbed their heads in agreement and leaned over to one another to whisper compliments about the multi-billionaire. His gaze found one man however, sat on his own, his own eyes behind thick glasses staring right back at him. There was no nodding of the head from this man, in fact he appeared to be ignoring everyone around him. Lex shifted his stance and turned to speak to him directly. _This man is different. That makes him more interesting than the rest of these chimps in suits._

"We as a species have to adapt now, and use every technology, discovery and advancement to defend ourselves." The room appeared to change slightly at his hard hitting words. "We must defend ourselves from new threats. We have to evolve again. What are we protecting ourselves from, you might ask. The answer is simple: Superman."

Now the gathered press grew even more excited. This was the first time that Lex Luthor had spoken publically about the newly emerged hero. Considering he was the most influential member of Metropolis at this moment in time, they were desperate to hear and regurgitate his opinion.

"This man is an enigma. Over the past couple of days, he has shown us what he is truly capable of. This man is a powerhouse, a god among men. What intentions has this 'Man of Steel' got? Yes, he may have claimed that he is here to help. But what if he is part of a larger force waiting in the shadows? What if his actions are just a ruse? How far are we going to allow to dangerous vigilante to go before we draw a line? He hasn't had the bravery and strength to come forward and engage the government that made the laws that he supposedly upholds. How can we trust this figure- someone who makes their own rules to bend the aforementioned laws to his own agenda. Only abiding by his own code of ethics. I say we don't give this threat a chance to strike. We land the first blow before we become vulnerable. We stop Superman before he shows us who he really is."

_This has gone far enough._ "You've given this man three days and already he's been branded a danger to your precious little world, Luthor?" Clark bellowed, rising from his chair. His glasses slipped down a tad and he fumbled to push them back up to the bridge of his nose. The room stirred, all of them desperate to get a look at the man who had defied Lex Luthor.

"Ah, the monkey from The Daily Planet has decided to speak up," Lex sneered at the man he vaguely recognised.

"We won't sit idly by while you corrupt everything you touch Lex. What is your real reason for getting into politics? This has never been your style," shouted Clark, looking the billionaire directly in the eyes.

"I have to defend the people of America against threats such as Superman that your poor excuse of a paper decides to promote," Lex replied, getting angry now. _This was not how I planned it to go._ Lex shifted slightly, never taking his eyes of the bumbling reporter, and fiddled with the sleeves of his shirt.

"In that case, would you like to explain the dangerous and illegal experiments that your labs have been performing in recent months? Or how about the fact that most of the mayoral staff are on your special payroll?" Clark repeatedly accused the candidate, sensing the movement of security guards towards him. "Or the extra deliveries to Luthor Docks that appear unaccounted for in their records? Answer me Luthor!" Clark shot question after question at Lex, who gave no answer but simply watched as the guards reached him and started to drag him away. He remained silent until Clark had been removed from the premise. Clark grew disgusted as he heard the next question being asked by the remaining corrupt reporters- whether Lex preferred spring or winter.

Clark was unceremoniously thrown out of the building and he fell to the ground for effect. His briefcase smacked him in the back of the head as he sat up as it too was chucked out. He was lucky it didn't smash on his Kryptonian skull. Clark hoped that him being removed from the conference didn't reflect badly on his new boss' opinion on him. All the same, he had recognised the true problems that riddled Metropolis. Getting up, he hailed a cab and after climbing in (ensuring to shut his tie in the door for effect) he told the driver to take him back to the Planet. I_ will change this city. One byline at a time. One save at a time._

_xxXxx_

**Author's Note: I'm so so so sorry this is late! I had the busiest weekend and I didn't have time to do a final edit on this piece which it really needed! Thank you to everyone who has read my story so far and reviewed and favourited it. I am eternally grateful for it, they are my motivation and muse.**

**I had issues with writing this as I got stuck with how to present Clark and Lexs' first encounter. However, I'm pleased with the outcome and I already have ideas on how this will set up the first meeting between Lois and Clark. The legend truly takes off!**

**That might not be for a while however, as my exams are coming up thick and fast and I really can't afford to screw them up! So I'm afraid I will be taking a break from posting for a month, which will nearly kill me. I'm so sorry about this, but from that point on I have the whole holidays until September to post as much as I like. There will be many more longer and regular posts from that point onwards!**

**So thanks again for bearing with me and for reading. Any reviews would be fantastic, good or bad and I hope to see you again on the other side! Cheers!**


	16. Chapter 16

Chloe walked out of the block of apartments and climbed into her little VW Golf before starting the engine. _Settle for a Draw by the Arctic Monkeys_ broke out of her stereo as she pulled out of her space and set off. Technically she was leaving two hours early for her lunch interview with Oliver Queen, but she wanted to get her hair sample to the lab.

Some people might say that she was intruding by finding out the Emerald Archer's identity without his permission but Chloe had learned the hard way that not knowing a hero's identity was dangerous. _I have plenty of experience from Clark on that front..._ Besides, as she had proved by filling in as Clark's sidekick since they were both in high school, she could help out with his nightly excursions. She was doing him a favour, indirectly.

Twenty minutes later the blonde returned to her car having deposited the hair sample at the lab. Chloe had had to resort to heavily flirting with an intern who also moonlighted as her contact in order to get it through twice as fast. _Lois is so much better than me at that kind of stuff. I swear that girl has no shame. _Chloe had gone through all the standard techniques, including twirling her hair, laughing at his poor attempt of humour and uncharacteristically batting her eyelashes at him but the stick-thin intern had failed to take the bait. In the end, she had to humiliate herself a little by letting her cleavage do the talking before he told her he could get it to her two days later. Satisfied that she had achieved her goal and slightly boosted by the fact that her petite frame could gain herself such favours, Chloe got back into her car with her head held a little higher.

The traffic was terrible as she made her way to the upper side of Metropolis and Chloe took the time to organise her thoughts. While she prided herself on knowing most of the current affairs that were public knowledge to the most intimate detail (and then some more bits of information that she really shouldn't know), she didn't know much about the man that was Oliver Queen. He was the prince of the society pages, something that Chloe always ignored when she perused a newspaper, and his reputation preceded him. From what she had learnt in her brief research that she had done before setting off, the inheritor of Queen Industries seemed to live by the policy of 'live fast, die young.' He regularly partied harder in one night than most would be able to in a lifetime and had many stories to show for it. While in high school, he had managed to uphold a relationship with eight different cheerleaders simultaneously for over three months without any of them finding out until graduation. Upon being presented with his diploma, Oliver was met with series of angry Pom Pom bearing girls and the picture of his robes being doused in alcohol from several different drinks had graced the papers the next morning. His relationship with the press had hardly improved from there. After being caught pants down with an intern at the Star City Gazette Christmas Party, Oliver had simply bought the paper, with a check book recovered from his aforementioned discarded trousers, to prevent the pictures taken from being printed. The story that both simultaneously disgusted and impressed Chloe (to her own amusement) happened at the Warrior Angel premiere in London. Star City's most eligible bachelor arrived acting chaperone to the leading lady in the film but by the time the credits had started rolling, he was found birthday suited up with every female cast member excluding the one he had arrived with. He was literally living the life of Barney Stinson and suddenly Chloe could see the reason why the press followed his every move to document everything he did. Shamefully, the blonde couldn't deny that fact that she may have enjoyed reading into the background of his various conquests.

On the other hand, everyone seemed to forget the amount of good that Oliver Queen did for the world, especially those less fortunate than himself. Several subtle donations a month to different charities around the world were made by Queen Industries without recognition by the press. Not to mention the fact that the man himself was the face of many of those charities and had partaken in lots of activities such as sleeping homeless for a week and base jumping the Niagara Falls for sponsorship money. It seemed as though Oliver upheld the same belief as his parents had before him: to use their wealth to benefit others and bring good to good people. He had certainly adopted that policy when it came to running Queen Industries. Since he had taken the reigns of one of Americas largest investment businesses, the numbers had been slowly climbing and were approaching the highest that had ever been recorded in its history, even in a recession. And unlike LuthorCorp, another company Chloe was very familiar with, Queen Industries did not exploit its employees for every ounce of profit. Instead it offered some of the best benefits that any company could and had a clean record of job losses so far in the three years that Oliver had been running the company. It was inspiring, if Chloe was honest. And she planned to focus far more on that side of the elusive Oliver Queen than the scandals and playboy history. _I'll leave that to Mandy Whyglehorn, the Informer's largest gossip queen and shit stirrer..._

Finally, half an hour later than she had originally thought she was going to arrive, Chloe pulled up outside Queen Towers. The sixty storey building towered over the blonde and remained regal while not being extravagant. While she wasn't late, the traffic meant that she wasn't able to get a last coffee before going to the interview and she didn't have time to do a last minute check on her hair and makeup. Instead, she was welcomed through security and reception before being shuffled into a lift. Thirty seconds and sixty floors later, she had arrived. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to steady herself as the doors opened and Chloe stepped out into the top office which housed the man who she was set to interview. The scent of coffee swirled underneath her nose and the noise of the bustling work-place cluttered her ears. Amid of all the chaos, no-one saw the petite blonde and carried on regardless. _Brilliant, this is perfect for the fly on the wall- inside scoop._

Chloe melted into the background and tried to sneak carefully around the workers towards the door to Oliver Queen's office. Chloe weaved through desk upon desk until she was halted by someone slamming a heavy folder across her torso. Cursing herself for being caught, she turned to apologise before she was cut off by the fat woman that had handed her the information and told to take it into "Mister Queen's" office without even a sideways glance. _Turns out the luck is in my favour. _Now lacking the fear of being stopped, Chloe straightened out her jacket and strode forward, clutching onto the folder, and pushed her way through the large glass door without knocking.

The first thing that struck Chloe about the office was how informal it was. She had been imagining a stuffy space with maybe some oak paneling and some bland artwork on the walls. Instead she found herself in a bright room, awash with sunlight coming through the single piece of glass that stretched across the whole 10 foot wall. The desk, which was light and metallic, didn't face towards the door but was in fact situated next to it, facing the window. There was a large plasma T.V. and a green sofa to match that Chloe could see had a little mini-fridge attached to the far side. The walls were decorated with wacky and quirky things, ranging from pop-art to swords and a shield. It seemed more like a bachelor's pad than a place where one of the most powerful investment companies was run. The only surprising thing about the space was the lack of the bachelor himself.

Not that Chloe minded. She made a beeline for the desk and took out her pocket camera. She quickly flicked through the first document that she found lying open, obviously the last thing that he had read. She didn't bother reading anything, instead taking close up images of every page to trawl through later. After about five minutes she was done and she was just about to move onto the next file when she heard the sound of a male voice coming from the internal door of the office. The intrepid reporter scrambled to shut the file, snatched up her own file to keep up the pretence that she had just arrived and turned to face the man opening the door.

Oliver Queen emerged from the door with his arms thrown wide and singing at the top of his voice. "I was happy in hazes of a drunken hour, but heaven knows I'm miserable now," the man belted out, pitch perfect, with his eyes closed.

"I'm not sure I agree with that diagnosis," smirked Chloe, holding out her folder having recovered from her rushed panic before. _Woah, Lois wasn't kidding when she said he was hot..._

"You'll have to excuse me, Doc. I wasn't expecting such," he paused and grinned, "charming company." _Please don't recognise me. Please don't recognise me._

_"_Those lines aren't going to work on me Queen, I'm not one of your 'girls,'" Chloe retorted, making speech marks with her fingers. "And don't think this is going to make your interview easier."

"Oh course, you're Chloe Sullivan. You're interviewing me, I remember now, course." Oliver ran his hand through his hair and laughed, opening the door and signalling the blonde go before him.

"I should be offended Mr Queen," Chloe lightly accused, slightly taken aback by the casualness that oozed out of the man. _This is certainly unexpected. Very unlike all the other interviews I've ever done._

_"_So I thought doing the interview in an office would be dull and my answers would also be of the same quality," Oliver explained, pushing the button for the lift having already crossed the busy floor.

Chloe nearly jumped out of her skin as the woman who had handed her the folder five minutes earlier yelled so loud she was at risk of bursting her lungs at Chloe for 'flirting with Mr Queen instead of delivering the file she ahead given her.' Before the blonde could even start to defend herself, Oliver stepped across her somewhat protectively and shot her down: "Miss Sullivan is from the Daily Planet and that he hoped that file wasn't important enough for her to lose her job." With that they stepped into the waiting elevator and let the doors shut.

"I hope you weren't being serious about firing that woman," Chloe said meekly, afraid she had just caused someone to lose their source of income.

"Only if you admit to the charges of flirting that she accused you of," Oliver winked, looking down at his companion.

"You wish Mr Queen," Chloe retorted, willing the blush arising to her cheeks to go away. "You should be worried about how easily I got in your office."

"I'm just sorry I startled you, I have a tendency to sing loudly along to _The Smiths_ inappropriately."

"To who?" Chloe asked, confused.

"_The Smiths_. They're a British band from way back in the '80s. I have quite the bizarre music taste," he admitted, walking out of the lift doors onto the ground floor, nodding to the doorman as they left the building before opening a door to a waiting car for Chloe. "They're quite depressing and uplifting at the same time. I used to release my anger through their music when I was younger but now I see the beauty in the lyrics instead." Leaning forward, he told the driver where they were going before looking back at the reporter. "Sorry that was probably too much information, I don't normally spill that kind of thing to anyone really."

Chloe, who was sat slightly tense before relaxed and smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'm exactly the same with _David Bowie_, particularly the album _The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars._ I listen to it all the time. Music is my escape from the world."

"Glad to know I'm not the only one, you'll have to teach me about that band, Professor," Oliver replied, settling into his seat. "I hope you're not going to take that to print. Might tarnish the image people seemed to have built for me."

"I assure you it won't. I think I'm starting to see the man underneath the pretence..."

xxXxx

The pair sat in a little Italian bistro on the outskirts of the upper side of Metropolis where it blended with the middle class areas. It was not at all where Chloe had expected Oliver to take her, expecting a more upscale and expensive place so the he could show off his seemingly limitless assets. However, he had insisted that this was the best place to get Italian food and it was private so they didn't get harassed by the press nor society girls. Because of this they ended up in a secluded corner of the restaurant which was slightly darkened by the size of the place and the low ceiling. They had already ordered their food and had munched through some starters.

Chloe was having a great time. Lunch with Oliver Queen hadn't felt like any other interview she had ever done. So far he hadn't avoided any questions nor given her the straight faced, stiff upper-lipped responses that she gained from many companies that she had pushed in the past. From a journalistic point of view, he was a perfect interviewee. _Not that it meant that he wasn't fantastic in certain other ways... _Oliver had been the epitome of a gentleman, guiding her from the car to her seat and encouraging her to ask her questions. At the same time however, he seemed to want to get to know her as well. His attention never wavered from the woman sat in front of him, even when they were served by a waitress who flirted with the man endlessly and shamelessly- which Chloe noted including undoing two of her top buttons to expose the maximum cleavage possible. Chloe was flattered by the attention, not that she would ever admit to it. After being shunned by most of the men in her life, it was nice for someone to **really **notice her. On the other hand, she hadn't managed to catch him learing at her, removing the concept of playboy fairly quickly. She was impressed by how honest he seemed and by how he was charmingly open with his life, despite being their first meeting. It was made all that much easier when she took into account of his incredible looks. His jaw was fine cut and his eyes were playful and innocent in nature which came with their brown colour. His face was fair, something that seemed to be common in the men Chloe was attracted to and his cheeks were graced with afternoon shadow. His skintone looked inviting and his grin was scandelous and fun. _Very__ professional Chloe..._

Oliver couldn't help but struggle to reign in himself and keep up the idea that this was only an interview. The woman that sat across him was the most unbelievable person he had ever met. She looked straight through the facade that was his playboy life and for once seemed to understand the man that was Oliver Queen, instead of only being interested in his wallet. He could tell she was naturally quite a closed off person and had proved so at dinner but he was determined to find out more about the beautiful blonde that sat before him. _And my word was she beautiful. _There was an elegance to her face that captured his interest. It seemed so fragile and unlike the 'supermodels' he had had dinner with before, she had slight 'imperfections.' However, they only succeeded in making Oliver believe she was even more attractive- such as the cluster of beauty spots that were located on her left cheek. And her smile was bright and genuine, something the billionaire hadn't seen much it his life, which meant he struggled to look away when she gifted him one. Not to mention the fact that Chloe oozed in sexual sensations and Oliver struggled to contain his lust. The neckline of her shirt teased little glimpses of her cleavage, remaining classy and professional while driving the man crazy. He would never admit it but he had checked out her ass as he let her through the door to the restaurant. He had never felt such a connection to a girl before and he was dreading the moment that he would be forced to part with her at the end of the meal.

"So, who came up with the idea of the merger between Wayne Enterprises and Queen Industries initially? I mean its hardly something I thought would come from the people who gave the Inquistor half their headlines in the last three years," asked Chloe, after handing back the menu to a waiting waiter after picking her meal.

"You know I wish I could disagree with you but I can't. We were hardly a shining example of CEO behaviour. However, despite our personal lives, we both strongly believe in helping others and we think this is the best way to do it," Oliver replied, sipping his drink.

"So you came to the decision together," Chloe pushed.

"Bruce and I have always been close. It was inevitable, we both lost our parents young and we leaned on each other for support. But nothing can replace the love of a parent. Knowing that someone will love you unconditionally, no matter what, is something that is easily taken for granted. Instead we were both looked at for our status and trust funds. So we pledged to help everyone we could as soon as possible. This started at first in our home cities but now we want to expand it further. So yes, officially, we did decided to partake in this venture together," Oliver reflected, looking Chloe right in the eyes. The confident mask seemed to slip away for a moment and the orphan left behind by his parents sat in front of her. However it returned as quick as it had disappeared and Oliver lowered his voice and leant across the table to speak to his companion in a hushed tone. "Unofficially, it was totally my idea and Bruce can shove his claims up his arse."

Chloe laughed before firing her next question- "Taking into account your desire to aid those less fortunate than yourself, what is your view on vigilantes?"

_Here we go..._ "Those nutters running around in fancy suits, thinking they're above the law?" Oliver smirked, knowing full well the irony of the situation. "They should just let the police do their jobs. They might present a danger to the country. Then again, with names like Superman and Batman, it's hard to take them seriously."

"But crime rates in Gotham City have fallen dramatically since the introduction of the Batman," Chloe fired back quickly, ready to defend her cause.

"And how much does it cost the public every time he blows up an office or crushes a police car under that Batmobile of his?" Oliver cried out, still faking his case against vigilantes. _Not that I would ever admit this but I may or may not be extremely jealous that I don't have one for myself._

"Surely any means could be considered viable if justice is served," Chloe countered.

"So you're saying that murder is a viable option as long as it was for the greater good?"

Chloe opened and shut her mouth without making a sound. "No, of course not," she recovered. "But if one cop car gets destroyed while the Batman captures a mob boss that has been evading the authorities and would continue to do so if not for intervention, then the methods certainly equate to the means."

The pair stared at each other, both with wide grins on their faces. While they were on opposite sides of the argument, they were both thoroughly enjoying themselves. Oliver cleared his throat gently, sat back in his seat and broke from her gaze. "You know you are quite unlike the women I normally take out to lunch Miss Sullivan," he mused aloud, playfully looking her in the eyes once more. It was true. No date he had ever taken out with him to dinner had challenged him; shot back at him quip for quip nor ignored his charms quite like Chloe had. Most of his 'bimbos' sat there with fake smiles on their faces, flirting heavily, laughing falsely and loudly and often squeezing their arms together and leaning forward- exposing maximum cleavage unashamedly trying to seduce him. Mostly they ignored what he said, instead agreeing with him automatically and systematically. They weren't trying to get to know Oliver Queen, rather the number of his sorting code of his bank account. Chloe Sullivan seemed to do none of these things and that only interested him more.

Chloe took a breathe to respond but before she could she was prevented from doing so by the arrival of their food. While a plate of Spaghetti and meatballs was set in front of the billionaire, the reporter took a quiet bite of her Vitello politely. Once the waiter had gone she responded: "I don't know about that Mr Queen, I'm sure other journalists have interviewed you before."

"Yes, but they were either asking about my boxers or my business," Oliver said, sipping his drink. "But you seem to care about my answers- this isn't just a story to you."

"No it's not," Chloe replied, glad someone finally recognised that this was her life rather than a job. "So Queen Industries' numbers are seeing the fastest growth since you took over as CEO, despite no job loses nor corners cut. In such times of strife, how have you managed it?"

"Well in the last quarter, we've managed to continue our excellent relationship with the Pentagon, continuing a decade and a half long partnership, and we've been supplying them with body armour to the boys out on the frontline. We've just signed another contract to carry on developing them so that they are cheaper to make but also provide the most protection possible. Keeping Americans safe is my company- not making weapons or profits. I'm happy to help fight the good fight but I'd rather keep our soldiers safe that provide killing machines to them. If you ask me, I would cut back massively on spending in the armed forces and use it to help balance our stuttering economy. But that'll never happen, not in my lifetime at least, but we pledge to keep suppling the vest that save lives for as long as we can," Oliver summed up, as Chloe ate on, listening.

"But," Chloe mumbled before stopping, her mouth full of veal. Sometimes she forgot her manners while on the prowl for information, something to do with the Lane genes that resided in her DNA. "Sorry," she apologised, "what about your other ventures?" A contract with the Pentagon is great but Queen Industries has had that for over a decade. It doesn't explain why your figures have climbed do high."

"Well believe it or not, it takes a lot of hard work on my part," Oliver answered, sitting back in his chair once again, relaxed after finishing his meal. He was about to continue when he was interrupted by his companion bursting out into a fit of laughter, which he thought was very cute. "What?" He asked, befuddled.

"I'm sorry, it's just hard to take you seriously when you have tomato sauce all over your face like an eight year old," Chloe smirked.

"I'm sorry, I'm just a messy eater. I'm like that dog from that old animated Disney movie," the billionaire joked.

"Oh, Lady and the Tramp? I loved that movie as a kid! Yeah, you definitely fit the part of the Tramp" Chloe fired back, reflecting his grin.

Oliver looked up from mopping his mouth and his own brown irises met with green. "Only if you'll be my Lady."

Chloe blushed and went a blood orange colour while a waiter collected their plates and placed a bill on the table. "Oh the cheque's here already?" She questioned, starting to reach down for her purse.

Oliver stopped her by placing his hand around her thin, petite wrist. He tried to ignore the raw attraction surging from the sensation of her skin. "That's why I like it here, no waiting around for the bill," he said reluctantly releasing her arm. "And what's the point of letting a billionaire taking you to dinner if you won't let him pay?"

Chloe watched him pay the cheque and suddenly realised the implications. "I'll pay next time then," she blurted out without thinking.

Oliver beamed and struggled to keep his cool, "so there's going to be a next time?"

The blonde sitting opposite him seemed to stumble over her words as her mistake dawned on her and she managed to spit out that might be a need for a follow up interview as they made their way outside. Now standing on the pavement, Chloe turned towards her interviewee. "Thanks for lunch," she just about squeezed out.

"It was my pleasure. I assume being the independent woman that you are that you'll refuse my offer to walk you the five blocks back to the Daily Planet?" Oliver probed.

"Yes, you would be right to assume so," Chloe smiled, "See you again Mr Queen," she offered her hand.

"Yes," Oliver breathed, sad their time had run out. He took the hand gently and shook it.

The both walked away in opposite directions, both longing for more.

xxXxx

**Author's note: I'm back ****baby doll! (sorry Ted Mosby). And thank god for it too. Exams are finally over and now all I have in front of me are three weeks of pointless filler school days and work experience and then the summer holidays. Booyaah!**

**My work experience is ****great. I'm PA to a judge and I basically make all his case note for him. My American readers would love it- it's all British accents/gentlemen (myself included ;P) and wigs galore!**

**This is my longest chapter yet and also my hardest to write. It was surprisingly difficult to get back into writing and nothing I did felt good enough. I was nervous about letting my favourite couple Chlollie down. However I prevailed and here it is. I would love to hear what you guys think of it as I am particularly nervous of my writing slipping after all this time. **

**Anyway thanks to all my readers for being patient with me and any new followers/favourites. I owe you everything! Thanks to the guest who reviewed chapter 15, you're encouragement is all I need! And we should be seeing more of Clark in the next chapter (maybe he will finally meet Lois again in that famous golden globe topped building) and probably some more Kara because she is great fun to write.**

**Thanks for reading my ramblings and cheers!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Sorry to bug but a review would be gladly appreciated and I would love to hear what you guys are thinking and any ideas you have for the series. Thank you!**

Technically the press conference at LuthorCorp still had another hour till it finished so Clark decided that he had enough time to patrol Metropolis for a while. He sped back to his apartment and grabbed his suit before zooming up onto the rooftop of the block of flats. The little golden globe span in the distance behind Superman as he stood, stretching his hearing, waiting for a crime.

Despite all the years he had had his powers; Superman found himself accidently listening to snippets of conversations in his searching. "Bert's forgotten to give me my pass again..." - "Two for one on boxes of strawberries, get them quick!" - "Have you seen the photographs of Superman?" - "You're late again Sam." - "Yeah, he's cute. You think he's single?" - "Get out of the way!" - "Who cares? I would anyway. Imagine what he could do with those superpowers of his!" - "Joya Aqua Company numbers are still falling despite our attempt to resurrect the company." - "I'm fine, thank you. How are you?" - "Mmm yeah. You know, I still think he's gay..." - "Can I have extra pepperoni on that American Hot? Thanks." - "Ow! Damn paper cuts..." - "What makes you think that?" - "_I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me." _- "His suit. It just screams homosexual." - "Tag! You're it! Run, Alice is on!" - "It would be nice if they used fabric softener when they washed our uniforms. They get so itchy." - "No chance, not with that fashion sense." - "Put the car in gear and gently push down on the accelerator pedal." - "Not all gays have a great fashion sense, Jo." - "No running in the corridors!" - "You know what, i still don't even care. I'd still jump him." - "Oh god! Someone help me pull him off!"

There it was. There was the call Superman was waiting for. He tried not to smile as he thought of the conversation he had just heard as he flew across the city. _It's not exactly what I wanted people to talk about when I revealed myself but it's not a bad thing. _The Man of Steel stopped and hovered twenty feet above the ground, surveying the scene that unraveled before him. Outside a coffee shop a small crowd had gathered to watch what was happening. A tall red headed woman stood over two men who were on the ground. One man was kneeling on a second man's stomach, punching his already bloody face. Superman took no longer in waiting and soared down in a dive, sweeping the attacker up by the scruff of his shirt before pinning him to the wall a storey up. He freeze-breathed his left hand onto the brick so that he hung independently. The gathering made noises of confusion as the assailant seemed to disappear before one of them shouted out that Superman was here. The superhero tried to drown out the hysteria breaking out below as the group of people stretched for a better look and took out camera phones for photos.

"Please don't kill me," the man pleaded, looking away and trying to break free.

"I'm not here to hurt you, just to prevent you harming others," Superman replied boldly. He swooped down to the beaten man lying in the street below, who was being looked over by the woman. "Are you alright, sir?"

"Yeah I'm fine thanks," he managed, wiping his face to rid of some of the blood.

"Thank you so much Superman," the woman breathed.

"Will you be safe from this man if I leave now?"

"He keeps coming after us. He's my ex-boyfriend from high-school," she cried.

"Scooter, I mean Bill, has been stalking Lilly since we got engaged," the man explained, now fully sat up.

"I'm sorry that Marshal had to go through this. It's my problem," Lilly sobbed.

"It's both our problem now, Darling," Marshall assured his fiancé, placing his arm around her shoulder to console her.

"It's neither of your problem now. Call the police and an ambulance if you need it. I'll ensure that he never bothers you again." Superman took off, returning to the still struggling Bill. "You're going to leave this couple alone. She has moved on and so should you. If I hear you've harassed them again, I will make you sorry," Superman warned, eyes glowing red for effect.

"Just get me down from here!" Bill begged.

The Man of Steel smiled and looked at the piece of ice that held him in place. "I think we'll just let nature take it's course." Superman turned and burnt his family symbol into the brick above his head before flying off.

The Last Son of Krypton floated once again above his city, looking down protectively. He loved watching Metropolis live. He enjoyed seeing the citizens go about their lives, all independent of one another but still relying on each other. Each person was having their own kind of day; some enjoying the sunshine, some struggling through. He admired their bravery. Every single one of them were so vulnerable, both physically and emotionally. At any moment they could go from elation to depression. He was impressed by their ability to continue, to persevere. Humans were the most resilient race he had known. He did have to remind himself that he wasn't human occasion. While Superman did enjoy watching the city, it always reminded him that he wasn't from there. He was alone.

Not that that stopped him from trying. As his eyes fell upon that famous building once again, an image of Lois came to mind. She could provide his link to humanity. She could keep him from looking down on the human race and instead look through their eyes. She could help him become one of them. The Man of Steel almost travelled to the Daily Planet just to see her again but he was distracted by a small group gathered far below him.

Superman travelled down and perched on the rooftop of a high school. The scene below him seemed to contain a gang of boys and girls egging on another student to beat up a younger boy. The student looked unsure as he held the younger boy by the front of his shirt, arm raised to punch him.

"Deck him Greg," screamed a voice from the crowd. The teen pulled back and finally drove forward with his fist before crying out. His knuckles hadn't connected with his victim's face but rather Superman's palm. The man in red and blue absorbed the blow so he didn't break the boy's wrist and let it go. More shouts from the bunch of school children indicated their awe and surprise at his arrival.

"You don't want to do this Gregory. This isn't how you want people to regard you. You want their respect not their fear," he told the teen.

"I'm so alone though. I have no real friends. This is my one shot to finally fit in."

"Listen to people and help them, even if they don't need it. Soon you will find people who will do the same for you," Superman assured. By this point, most of the school was aware that Metropolis' new hero was on site and a massive struggle to see the man himself rolled on in the background. The Man of Steel rose up a few metres above them, cape fluttering in the wind. A cheer went up and the Last Son of Krypton had to shout to get himself heard: "Hold out your satchel!"

The teen looked down and gripped onto his bag before holding it out. He jumped back suddenly as smoke appeared as a result of Superman's insignia being burnt onto the leather. Greg's head snapped up to look once more at his hero but he was gone.

Once again Superman surveyed the scene. He was happy that he had intervened. Unlike Batman, he believed that a hero doesn't have to restrain to stopping criminals but could help people to be better. Their principles could be something to aspire to be, rather than look up to the man who carried them out. It was better than being a symbol of fear.

A scream alerted him to another emergency. Superman tore through the sky, plummeting down into the street, only a blur to human eyes, towards to sounds of gunfire. A car was sat outside a restaurant, riddling the building with lead. The Man of Steel jumped from bullet to bullet, catching them in between his hands and absorbing them into his torso. He slowly made his way towards the four gunmen, who had stepped out of the vehicle to get a better shot. One of them paused to reload as another stopped firing to alert the others a road sign out of the ground. He leapt towards them, skillfully deflecting another bullet with the pole before using it to tie the two criminals together and pushing them backwards to know them out. The Last Son of Krypton span around to watch a Molotov grenade being thrown at the shop window. It flew through the air towards a group of people still struggling to flee. Superman sprinted and flung himself in front of the bottle, spreading his cape out wide over the crowd. The material had travelled with him when he had arrived on earth from Krypton and therefore was almost indestructible. The glass shattered dead on Superman's chest and the petrol caught alight. He found a strange beauty in the flames that surrounded his face as he protected the citizens. No one was seriously injured as the explosion burnt out and the attackers stood flabbergasted. They turned and leapt back into the car where a fifth man was waiting to make a get away. He floored the accelerator but instead of speeding away from the crime scene, he found himself flying above the city, weaving between buildings.

A fat policeman sat on a bench outside a police station, munching on a donut and waiting for his partner to finish some paperwork, when a car came crashing down into the street in front of him. Three crooks were slumped over, knocked out by the fall. Superman left satisfied, having left his symbol on a hubcap, and returned to the scene. As soon as he appeared, he heard calling for him.

"Superman! Help us please," shouted out a man who was crouched over a body.

"Let me help him," the Man of Steel said, swooping over. "I'll take him to hospital." With that, he scooped up the bleeding shop owner and took off.

xxXxx

Twenty minutes later, Superman stepped back out of the Accident and Emergency ward, having made sure that the man was going to be attended to. He still had twenty more minutes before he had to return to the Daily Planet, which left him more than enough time to make some more saves. However, just before he took off, something stopped him in his tracks.

Car tyres squealed as a driver desperately stamped on the brakes. However, she failed to prevent her car from slamming into Kara Jor-El, who rolled up onto the bonnet before dropping back off. The metal was slightly crumpled but the Maiden of Might was obviously perfectly fine. Superman heard her mutter something and he ran forward at normal human pace to her before grabbing her arm. "Kara!" he started, surprised, "what are you doing here?"

Kara gave one last scowl towards the car that drove off before turning to her cousin. "I keep being hit by those," she paused, looking for the right word, "vehicles."

"Look, let's get out of here before questions are asked," The Man of Steel whispered. "Let me do the work, don't show off your powers."

"I know that, I'm not a complete fool," Kara retorted, now on the rooftop, away from prying eyes.

"I know that but we have to be careful. I thought I told you to stay on the farm," he reprimanded.

"Kal, I can look after myself."

"Not by my diagnosis. You just got hit by a car!" Superman shouted, exasperated.

"Actually it was my third…" Kara admitted quietly before regaining her confidence. "What gives you the right to boss me about anyway?"

"I'm trying to keep you safe," he hissed back.

"I know how to do that, I've been doing it far longer than you." Kara had reeled onto the balls of her feet at this point and the two cousins stood facing each other in tense silence.

Clark was the first to break it off and he grinned at his cousin. He had always wanted a sibling to argue with and still love when he was younger. He had almost found that in Lois but there was always another underlying tension in those little spats. "I just want to protect you."

Kara settled back down and also smiled. "I'm sorry. I haven't had anyone look out for me in a long time."

Clark recognised the slight change in her tone and the look on her face. He had struggled with the fact that he was alone on this planet since the day he found out about his origins. He could live with humanity as they moved through their lives but he could never be one of them. But at least he had his parents to fall back on; the love of and support that they had given him. He realised that Kara hadn't had that luxury. She had witnessed the destruction of the planet where she grew up and where her parents and friends had lived. She had drifted through space desperately searching for any survivors, any scrap to cling onto. She had grown up and grieved by herself. She had been alone.

"You don't have to go on your own anymore Kara. There are people who care about you here," he spoke softly. The silence they shared as they hugged each other was far different to the silence from two moments ago.

"So, what did you get up to then?" He inquired, releasing her from the embrace.

"I got hungry so I left the farm to get some food because you lovingly forgot to provide," she grinned as they walked to the edge of the building.

"Actually, can I just get changed? Then I might be able to walk through the city without being mobbed," Superman asked.

"Sure, I'll meet you down there," Kara said, pointing to the end of the car park. Kara only picked up his reply confirming that with her through her superhearing for there was now a man dressed in a suit waving at her from there.

"So what's happened next?" Clark continued, after she joined him and they started walking along the side walk into the city.

"What is that thing on your face?" Kara asked, confused.

"What these?" Clark said, taking off his glasses off. "They're glasses. They help people see when their eyesight has deteriorated. Everyone refers to them in plural though. I know it's weird."

"But your eyesight is perfect, much better than humans."

"That's true," replied Clark, replacing them on the bridge of his nose. "But they are part of my disguise. I have to hide behind the persona that is Clark Kent in order to protect the people I love. The whole act of being clumsy and uncoordinated is to stop people from realising I am Superman."

"So I'll need to do that too?" Kara questioned.

"Are you planning on sticking around then?"

"I'd like to. I feel as though I have a reason to stay somewhere for the first time since Krypton was destroyed."

"Good, I'd like that," Clark smiled.

"It's not going to be easy to conceal myself when everyone seems to stare at me," Kara admitted, looking at the commuters that surrounded them as they walked along the street. They rounded the corner and the Maiden of Might could see the Daily Planet about five blocks down from them.

Clark had noticed the lustful stares that men and a few women had given Kara, who was scantily clad by human standards in her Kryptonian robes. "Luckily for you, there's a couple of clothes stores that we can buy some clothes from that we can replace your robes with along this road. We can grab some quickly grab some now, then people will some leering at you."

"Yes, that would be good. Just one thing, what's luck? Is it a god or scientific phenomenon?"

"Oh right," Clark laughed and went to explain. "Err, it's like when a person achieves something or something happens to them through no action they committed but from chance. No deities involved," he explained. It suddenly dawned on him how much he would have to teach his cousin about Earth. For such a tiny planet, it sure had a lot of complications and cultural differences. _Talking of small things that contain more than meets the eye, there's Chloe. _A little blonde mop had caught his attention, walking about fifty feet in front of the pair and the reporter broke out into a jog to catch up to her. "Chloe," he called out, Kara trailing behind him.

Chloe turned at the sound of her name and beamed at her best friend as he caught up with her. "Hey Clark, how was the conference?"

"I may or may have not gotten' kicked out," mumbled the farmer's son, dipping his head a bit sheepishly.

"That's my boy!" Chloe exclaimed, smacking the man on the shoulder and laughing. She furrowed her brow at the blonde who pulled up next to him. "Who's the tall person you've brought with you to add to the long list of people who tower over me?"

"Chloe, this is Kara, my cousin. Kara, this is my best friend Chloe," Clark introduced the pair to one another.

"Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you," greeted Chloe, holding out her hand.

"Hello," replied Kara, also extending her hand outwards to mirror Chloe, with a slightly confused look on her face.

Then the penny dropped for the petite blonde and she turned to Clark, a shocked look on her face. "When did this happen and **why **didn't youtell me about it?"

"It only happened last night, just after meeting up with Lois," Clark admitted sheepishly.

"Why-didn't-you-tell-me?" Chloe scolded, beating her best friend with her notepad between words.

"I tried, but you were too busy talking about my love affair with Lois!" Clark cried out, putting up his arms to protect himself unnecessarily.

Chloe wanted to argue back but it was hard to fault the truth. "Ah well who cares?" Said Chloe flippantly before turning to Kara, who had a big grin on her face. "So are you from Krypton?"

"Yes," Kara said as the trio continued their walk. "I grew up there."

"How old were you when it was destroyed?" Chloe inquired, the familiar creases on her forehead appearing.

"Nineteen."

How's that possible? Because you look so young?"

"Technically I'm twenty-eight but when my ship crashed across the galaxy, it kept me in suspended animation for five years. I was finally found five years later when I was twenty-four but I still hadn't aged a day, still in a nineteen-year-old's body. I've spent the last four years trying to find out what happened to our home and locate any other survivors," Kara explained again.

"I need to get my hands on one of those!" Joked Chloe and they shared a laugh.

Clark stopped outside a clothes store and stepped inside the threshold. "Chloe, could you help my cousin buy some clothes and other necessities? She didn't arrive with anything and I need to get back to the Planet."

"Sure, I've got time. Do you want me to start setting her up twitch an identity as well?"

"No, that can wait. Ill see you both later, I really need to go," Clark rushed a little, giving a wave to his blonde companions before jogging off into the crowd.

"Good luck with Lois! You're going to need it!" Chloe shouted after him.

The pair managed to pick out a voice out from the wall of people bustling in front of them. "I don't doubt it."

**Author's Note: Heyoo it's a new chapter! So I know I promised that I would introduce Clark to Lois in the workplace this chapter but it seemed criminal for Chloe not to learn about everything almost immediately. Therefore I made it happen. It might also take her mind off Green Arrow/Oliver Queen. **

**Anyway, I'm not going to make any promises for next week's chapter as I am terrible at keeping them. But I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those that have reviewed so far and for the most recent review/follow/favourite. You are the guys I write for! Would really appreciate it if you took the time to leave your thoughts as it makes my day.**

**Cheers!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Any review, good or bad, would make my day so please take the time to give me feedback. Cheers!**

Lois was in a foul mood. She was still exhausted from the night before; Perry White had blasted at her for turning up late for twenty minutes before realising that he had in fact given her permission to go home and while she had been sleeping this morning, she had missed several saves by Superman. Worst of all, she was doing what she hated most about reporting: spell checking.

_Argh, son of a bitch, I have to deal a new partner as well. What's that going to be like? He better not be as bad as the last one. Watching a twenty five year old man burst into tears because you told him he was a sissy for not breaking into LexCorp with you to try to gain some valuable dirt on the billionaire was tragic beyond belief. Not to mention the fact that he never knew when to take a break at the right time, always disappearing at the wrong moment; he never wanted to break the law to find a story (its half the reason I went into journalism!) and I could never concentrate at my desk opposite his while he nervously bobbled his leg up and down while he worked. He was a complete nightmare. _

_Why can't I ever get some hunky, muscly and dangerous man? Someone who is sensitive but still oozes masculinity. Someone who could actually spell... Someone reliable but still surprises me with the occasional curve-ball. Someone a little nerdy, but in a really cute way. Someone willing to go the distance but reign me in when I need it. __Is generous but not expectant or arrogant in it. Maybe someone into the whole hero factor? Definatly s_omeone who is a family man and maybe with a that family will consider me as one of their own. Most importantly, a man who leans on me for support when he needs it and does the same for me as I will inevitably will cal for it. That man rarely happens of course...

Lois shook herself from her inner monologue. _God I need __some more coffee. I wonder if I could patent that IV idea? _She rose to make her way to the coffee station but barely managed to get out of her seat before she bumped into something hard. The brunette fell back, hardly helped by her stilettos, and prepared for impact when she felt a set of arms wrap themselves around her. Lois opened her eyes and saw them reflected back at her in a set of blues as the man bent over and held her up. He was warm and she felt strangely comfortable considering her position. They clutched onto the moment a tad longer than needed.

"Watch where you're walking," Lois berated, pushing herself up and out of his arms, trying to regain some dignity. She was usually flustered. "And while you're at it, photocopy these witness statements for me and take it to Miss Sullivan."

"I'll get onto that but first I need to make sure you're ok," Clark rounded her as she stepped into the mini kitchen/break-room that hosted the coffee machine.

"Would you just step **out **of my way. I'll feel a lot better for it," Lois glowered causing Clark to shuffle a little bit- genuinely scared.

"I thought you'd appreciate some caffeine actually crafted by a barrister and a doughnut but you can drink that poor excuse for coffee that comes out of that machine," Clark offered meekly, hoping that his slight attempt at humour and offer of food would break Lois' wrath. He was right. She snatched it out of his hands causing him to laugh lightly.

"Mmm Mmm," Lois thanked, her mouth full of doughnut. She had somehow crammed over half a maple treat in.

"At least you're putting that big mouth to good use," Clark whispered to himself under his breath with a grin. Lois whacked him over the head with her folder as she stuffed the final chunk down the hatch and sipped her coffee.

"I'm only letting you get away with that because you bought me food and you're new. Next time, you'll endure some of the tricks this army brat learnt while touring every base in the US of A," Lois warned as she walked back to her desk, tilting her head back to finish the beverage- having only received it thirty seconds earlier.

_Oh god angry Lois is so ridiculously hot... _"Good to see that you haven't changed Lois."

That stopped the reporter dead and she balanced on her heels to turn around, a quizzical look on her face. "Who are you?" _There's only one guy in the world who ever spoke to me like that and that was..._

"Ah good you've met," bellowed Perry White, forgetting his inside voice and placing his arms around the pair. "Lois Lane, meet Clark Kent, your new partner." And with that he disappeared as quickly as he had appeared, leaving the couple staring at each other. Clark was beaming at the variety of expressions, not of them particularly positive, that Lois was giving him.

_...was Clark Kent. Fantastic. _"What the hell are doing here?"

"Nice to see you've missed me," Clark smirked, well aware that the whole bullpen was watching. "I applied for a job here and was told to partner up with you."

"I don't have a partner, I work alone," Lois forced out.

"I can see that but Mr White disagrees. He says you're over stretching yourself and it's hurting your prose," Clark added cheekily, knowing full well he was pushing his new partner.

"And since when could you help with that?" Lois exclaimed, hands on her hips and reared up on the balls of her feet.

"Don't you remember our high school days scrapping for the truth at the Torch with Chloe? Or have you tried to forget your time at Smallville?"

"I only forgot what I wanted to, farm boy. What happened to that anyway? Aren't you supposed to be milking cows or fixing the tractor or something? Didn't think I'd ever see you out of plaid let alone the nerdy get up you've got going now," Lois reminded him. _Don't think about the plaid shirts you've got tucked away in your bottom draw that you stole from him. Nor that fact that he seems to be rocking the look anyway, despite what you said two seconds ago..._

"I dunno Lois, I don't think he looks so bad," said a slim, curvy woman with long blonde hair as she stepped out of the crowd.

"I thought you only had eyes for Jimmy, Cat," teased another man. He was a bulky man, well built, and seemed to be very proud of his bushy moustache.

"Shut up Steven. I don't see any girls swarming around you while you swoon over your new car and shout at the football on the TV," retorted Cat. "Anyway, none of that matters. I'm Cat Grant, sub-editor and basically acting personal assistant and secretary to the Chief. Although he would never admit it, his life would fall apart without me."

"It's nice to meet you," Clark faked a slight tremor in his voice, keeping up the mask that was Clark Kent, as he shook her hand awkwardly.

"Yeah, the name's Steven Lombard- Sport's editor and feature writer, although mainly on cars," Steve bragged, confidently holding out his hand. And Clark told hold of his hand and they seemed to try to out-squeeze each other until the bulky man broke it off, cursing under his breath.

"This is all very nice," Lois interrupted, "but I have stories to finish and if Smallville here thinks he can just sit back and watch, he's got another thing coming." With that she strode through the small gathering of people.

"Good luck with that Clark," winked Cat, slinking off as well.

"Yeah, you'll need it. Did she say Smallville? Because they've produced some outstanding football players over the years and you look like you could handle a ball Kent. You fancy joining the work team?" Steve offered.

"Thanks for that Cat and err maybe, that would be nice," Clark rambled, turning to follow Lois back to their desks. He bumped into one, falling to the ground, arms flailing and sending papers crashing to the ground. "Oh my, I'm so sorry," he apologised to an angry looking woman towering over him as he scrambled to pick them up.

"Maybe not one for the team after all," Steve muttered quietly as the workers returned to their booths.

Five minutes later, Perry White stood at the top of the stairs, overlooking the hive of activity that was his bullpen. He was trying to contain a grin as he noticed Lois hiss at Clark for the second time for distracting her by squeaking on his chair as he moved from side to side. _Those reporters of mine are going to take the world by storm..._

**Author's note: *Comes out of hiding to see if there is an angry mob outside his door* Hello, sorry this is so late! I have been really really busy and suffered from the largest bit of writer's block ever. But I'm happy with the outcome and I really enjoyed writing this, even if it is a little shorter than some other chapters I have posted in the past. **

**Anyway, thanks for sticking with me and for all the reviews and follows. To reply to the guest that wrote on chapter 17, yes we will see some more of Kara and Chloe very soon. Also to rediney, I love them too and I hope you like what I have in mind for them next time :)**

**As I am now on my summer holidays, I will try to get some longer chapters up more frequently. The next one should include: Chloe and Kara's shopping trip, Green Arrow's first proper patrol with a certain petite blonde and Lex checking up on his series of evil projects! Thank you so much for the views and reviews and I hope to see you next time. Cheers!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Please drop me a review after reading. Any thoughts, good or bad, make my day. Cheers!**

Lex was glad that his press conference was out the way as he walked down a sterile corridor lit up by electric lights, swiping his card to gain access to a high tech laboratory. _Such a shame I had to waste so much time with those reporter monkeys talking of my inevitable rise to vice-president when I had much more important matters to hand. _The scientists working hard at different benches seemed to scurry about faster than before and duck their heads a little as if they feared the bald man- something he got an immense kick out of. However, he was looking for the main man heading the project and he eventually found him at the observatory chamber.

Lex joined him in watching the action from the room below, his hands behind his back. Below him were a series of eight automated robots (stolen from Star Laboratories) and Victor Stone standing in the middle of all of them, looking fearful as they towered over him. "Afternoon Dr Green, I hope you have something good to show me."

"Good afternoon Mr Luthor. I think you'll be most pleased at the progress we have made," the doctor stated confidently. He leaned over a microphone and his voice boomed over the intercom. "Start training schedule number one."

"Please! Let me out of here!" Victor screamed as he watched the robots power up, their menacing eyes glaring at him. One of them made a move towards him and swatted him like a moth, sending him across the room and slamming into the wall. A large cut could be seen through his torn T-shirt and blood poured out of the wound. Victor yelled in pain but his cry changed into one of more control. The sight before him caused Lex to step back from the glass before pressing himself closer for a better look.

Victor's whole right side of his body had morphed into metal and an eyepiece slid to cover his right eye, glowing red. It was a fearful sight. The wound on his chest had gone, fixed by the steel sheets that stretched over his skin. Another automated machine turned and started to throw a punch at him. It never managed to draw back fully before its head exploded, having been short circuited.

"How is he adapting to his new gifts?" asked Lex, as the battle continued below him. Victor found that he could no longer hack into the robots quick enough and prevent himself from being beaten to death at the same time as they had learnt from their first fallen comrade and had adapted.

"Fantastically. Within the first thirty seconds of him waking up after the procedure he managed to hack our mainframe, use his infrared vision and fire his sonic cannon. Although it was at a very low frequency so it didn't cause much damage," the doctor raved. "The only way to stop him was to unplug him and even then he figured out how to use his last remaining milliseconds of power to cry out for help. His brain is functioning at over 300% more than yours sir and he's already figuring out problems that would have taken us months."

Victor super sped and jumped over another robot, enlarging his fist and driving it down. It extended further, his whole arm traveling through the sparking electronics as he, still upside down in the air, held onto its lower half and threw the entirety of the machine against another- splitting it in half. "Very impressive. What kind of problems are we talking about here?" asked Lex.

"Well he's managed to solve that power problem in an hour, setting up an eternal power source using only a few extra wires stolen from our monitoring equipment. His mind works at least twice as fast as ours does and his cannon is far more powerful now." Cyborg successfully demonstrated this by interlocking his right limb once again and blasting another robot into ash with a loud sonic boom. The glass protecting the billionaire cracked in the corners a little.

"Is he still containable?" inquired Lex, eying the fractured glass carefully. Out of the corner of his eye his saw Victor obliterate two more robots with his electricity rockets, fired from his back.

"For now, yes. Physically, he is not strong enough to break from our grasp. However, mentally, he is still resisting," Dr Green summed up. Meanwhile, Victor formed a metallic shield to protect his face as he was showered with bullets from the remaining two robots before deflecting them skilfully straight down the barrels of the two guns, destroying them.

"What do you mean resisting, Doctor? I don't pay you to be weak," Lex warned as Cyborg formed a mighty blade with his arm and spun regally, tearing apart the final two machines, surrounded by explosions and sparks.

"We can't instal the regular chip that we have managed to insert into other projects' heads, such as Metallo's. He hacks it and destroys it before it even gets close to him. In fact he's slowing down process in dozens of other areas because of his fixation on preventing any such device entering his brain." Victor was now crouched on the floor. The metal was slowly retracting and skin returned to replace it. Finally the red eye died away and slid back into his skull, revealing a sobbing young man.

"Why are you doing this to me? Is this what I'm going to have to do for the rest of my life? Look at what I can do, I'm a monster. I shouldn't exist. Nothing like this should exist..." The man broke down, allowing several staff to strap him down and wheel him away.

Lex became stony faced. He took a deep breath and Dr Green shuddered as he noticed the light of the billionaire's eyes die away a little. "I've seen enough. You better have fixed that problem next time I see you Doctor or there will be hell to pay. Take me to Metallo," he ordered, turning and striding from the room, escorted by his body of guards.

xxXxx

Chloe and Kara walked along the sidewalk after watching Clark disappear up the street. Chloe studied her companion as she stared in every direction at her new surroundings in wonder as they went. _How on Earth (ironically) do you start a conversation with an alien that has just arrived from a dead planet?_

"I recognise you," Kara blurted out, breaking Chloe from her inner thoughts and setting her blue irises on the reporter's face. "A miniature version of you was trapped in a little hand held portal in the room owned by Kal, I mean Clark."

It took Chloe a couple of moments before she understood what Kara meant. "Oh, you mean a photograph right?" she laughed, despite her best attempts to conceal it.

"What is a photograph?" asked Kara as they stepped into a large department store.

"Basically, it's an image taken from a camera. It replicates everything it captures, visually of course," Chloe explained, checking on a sign where the women's clothes were located. "The one you saw in Clark's room was of our graduation. Cameras are mostly used at special events."

"What is this? It looks amazing!" cried out Kara from across the store. She had obviously got distracted and had stopped listening. Chloe poked her head around the corner to see the Maiden of Might standing with a large, crimson and very frilly bra wrapped around her hips. She looked quite proud of herself.

"Kara!" Chloe hissed, again trying to contain herself from laughing and in a slight panic- Kara was attracting a lot of attention from disapproving shoppers. The tutting was almost deafening. "That's a bra. And it's certainly not used like that!"

"Oh" Kara managed before pulling at the underwear. The elastic responded accordingly and snapped dramatically. It pinged straight into a nearby guard, who had come over to investigate. He was quite an old man and it hit him in the face.

Chloe couldn't stop herself and burst into hysterics. Crying with laughter, she grabbed Kara's hand and dragged her from the store, apologising to the man as she went. Back out onto the street, it took a few minutes before both girls had calmed down. "Ok, there's another shop about a block up so we'll just try there. This time, let me lead and we might last longer than twenty seconds."

"Yes, that is a good idea." Kara replied. "I'm sorry but it was so pretty, it looked like something that I would wear back home."

"Don't worry about it, I understand. That thing will help you to no end. They help keep your breasts in place," Chloe informed her friend, pulling down one side of her tunic to reveal a lacy blue bra.

A teenage boy stood next to them jerked his head and practically started drooling. Kara noticed him and whacked him on the top of the head, snapping him out of his trance. "Leave before I make that pain something you'll embrace as a pleasure."

"Thanks for that," said Chloe, replacing her clothing as they crossed the street, safely this time. "You'd be surprised how much of a pervert most men are nowadays. Although it can't be blamed on them too much, we are in a highly sex driven society."

"Yes, there was nothing like this on Krypton," Kara revealed, her eyes caught by an advertisement in a shop window that had a man and a woman in tight, naked, hug. "We obviously had a very different attitude towards that sort of thing. We weren't even allowed to touch each other until we were married."

"Not at all like that here. As long as a man and a woman consent to a sexual act, pretty much anything goes."

"Very interesting. And that bra idea will be so useful. It was so painful back on Krypton," Kara admitted.

"I'm surprised to be honest. You guys have got time travel, space travel and storing multitudes of information in little crystals down to an art form but none of you thought to support your 'assets,' as Lois likes to call them," Chloe grinned.

"Whose Lois?"

"My cousin and pretty much the love of Clark's life, not that she'll see that anytime soon. You'll meet her soon enough, she has a habit of making herself very well known in every room she enters," Chloe summed up as they entered another shop and headed to the women's wear. "Pick out whatever takes your fancy and I'll try get some essentials and stuff I think you'll look great in."

The pair walked about comparing articles of clothing for the next twenty minutes, passing their finds onto a shop assistant that already looked like an over used donkey. Chloe found it slightly ironic that Kara shared the same love of primary colours that her cousin did. "What about the love in your life?" Kara inquired, after watching Chloe pay for their things and leaving the shop, now heading straight for the Daily Planet.

"'Fraid it's not so simple for us mere mortals," Chloe reflected. Oddly enough, she was picturing Oliver Queen in Green Arrow's leather suit. _Stop that, that's absurd. That could never happen..._

"Maybe so, but I can tell you might be onto something, judging by the change in heartbeat and micro-layer of perspiration that appeared when I asked the question. Who is he? A warrior? A scientist?"

"Can I say an enigma?" Chloe smirked, knowing that it would be hard to explain her attraction to someone who she had only met once and the other she couldn't even put a proper name to.

"Only the best are," Kara reflected her grin, as they reached the steps of the building. "Are you going to work now?"

"Yeah I am. You can come if you want," Chloe offered.

"No, I'd rather not if you don't mind. I want to explore this planet a little more. I hear it has the most incredible wildlife."

"Sure, just try not to draw attention to yourself," the reporter warned. "And on a slightly more depressing note, you'll have to get a job if you want to stay here long term. Money doesn't grow on trees."

"I won't. Yes, I'll have to think about that, not sure reporting is for me," Kara turned to leave before looking back at the shorter blonde. "Thank you for everything Chloe, I feel more at home than I have in years."

"You're welcome. I'll see you later to hear how you got on and to make headway in the job search and identity creation process."

"That would be great. Goodbye," Kara finished oddly formally by human standards before she walked around to an alley and disappeared with a breath of the wind.

xxXxx

Lex had already passed hundreds upon hundreds of barred cells, their prisoners' hands stretching and crying out for his help, before he reached his final destination. He strolled into the room and took a tumbler from the cabinet, filling it with whiskey. A large glass panel basked the space in light and looking through it, views over little soldiers marching around the compound could be seen. A table that had a series of documents resting on it divided two armchairs that were angled slightly towards a plasma TV on the wall. The billionaire took a seat in one, placing his right leg over his left, sitting back, taking a sip from his drink and waited for his guest.

It didn't take long either. A door on the other side of the room opened, grabbing Lex's attention. Two guards entered first, standing either side of the door frame protectively. After them came John Corben, standing a little straighter than a normal person would. He had a blank look on his face and he didn't seem to acknowledge where he was going as he walked but kept his head still as he moved towards the seats. He sat down with his back arced unnaturally and his eyes dead. If you looked around the back of his head, you would see a little chip with a blinking green light. It pumped small doses of liquid Kryptonite and data into his brain.

"Turn the device off, I want to speak to him face to face," Lex ordered.

"Sir I don't think that's a great idea, he gets dangerous when he's unplugged-"

"I don't pay you to give me your opinion, I pay you to follow orders. Get out of my sight, all of you," Lex shouted.

The guards ducked their heads and scuttled from the room leaving the pair alone. Just as the door slammed shut, John snapped out of his trance and gasped for breath and clung onto the sides of the chair. Lex watched in amusement as the other man panicked, clutching at his chest and making incoherent cries. Finally, he decided to speak- this man's pleas to give back his life were boring him.

"Good evening Mr Corben, thank you for joining us," he welcomed, fulfilling the bizarre stereotypical behaviour of a villain.

"Lex Luthor?" Corben exclaimed, taking his first real look at his surroundings. "Why are you here? And what have you done to me?"

"Please remain calm John. I'm working for the government. You were admitted into hospital with you're ribs crushed to dust and you're internal organs melted beyond belief. It's a miracle you're alive," Lex lied, opening his folder. He held out a newspaper article for John to see. It told how a terrorist 'Superman' had attacked a military base and declared war on the country. "He took you Mr Corben and experimented on you, trying to find the ideal way to create an army for himself."

John studied his own copy. "But I don't remember any of this, only little glitches. I thought I was in a car crash."

"No, those were falsely implanted so that you wouldn't come after him. We rescued you from his lab and despite our best attempts we can't restore you," Lex went on, getting slightly into his role.

"Why me though? I've never even heard of the guy."

"He wanted to make an example of you. He's murdered everyone of your family just to prove how ruthless he really is," Lex revealed, holding out three death certificates. One for Mrs Corben and the other for his daughters.

John broke down. Lex watched in fascination as the man tore at his own face in grief before destroying the chair and smashing the TV. He towered over the bald man and his eyes glowed green, his anger heightened by the Kryptonite pumping through his veins. "I want to get revenge. I want to destroy everything he has ever loved and then fuck him over some more."

"That's what we wanted to hear Mr Corben. The White House wants him removed and I hope you are the man to help us," Lex said, holding out his hand as he looked the other man in the eyes and smirked an evil grin.

"Count me in," John replied, taking the outstretched hand. "Let's get the son of a bitch."

xxXxx

Chloe was exhausted. She had spent the afternoon chasing figures off employees of Queen Industries on the phone to confirm the stats that Oliver had given her in the interview and then was delivered the exact figures she was asking for three hours later by a courier. She was fairly certain that the billionaire had done it on purpose just to wind her up but there was nothing to prove it. So when she had been offered a drink by Steve Lombard for the thousandth time (although this one was with the whole gang) she politely declined and said she had to finish up writing the interview. _While that's true, you could have done that at the office. Not so secretly, you're hoping a certain leather clad man comes flying through your window again..._

Shaking her head so as to remove such thoughts, Chloe finally reached the floor of her apartment and after finding her keys in her bag, she let herself into her humble home. Everything was as it was apart from on little thing that stuck out a mile. A great green arrow was sticking out of her wall opposite to the shattered window with a little package dangling from it.

_Does any hero ever respect my property? _The blonde tried pulling it out with one hand and after a couple of minutes trying with more force, she had to resort to placing her feet either side of it and tugging on it with all her weight on her side before it finally came lose. Chloe collapsed in a heap as brick dust rained down all over her and she could see that the paint had cracked to make an intriguing spiderweb pattern. _It must have been fired from quite a distance if it caused that much damage to my wall.__  
_

Shrugging it off, the reporter got up and dashed to her kitchen where she used a knife to make quick work of opening the package. Before her lay three items: a coffee bag, an inner earpiece radio communicator and a folded piece of paper. Most interested in the handwritten note, she took it up and read it.

ooooOoooo

Evening Sidekick,

Sorry we didn't quite make it through waffles this morning, hope you enjoyed them anyway. I thought I might take you up on that offer on giving me a hand. Hoped you'd be my eye in the sky. Ping me on the com' and we'll get started.

Your favourite Archer.

PS: the coffee is for helping you stay awake and because a little bird told me you practically live off the stuff. Enjoy!

ooooOoooo

Chloe picked up the plastic bag and let her jaw drop. In her hand was some of the most expensive coffee in the world. _God, that shows how much of an addict I am. I can't believe I know that this is one of the rarest beans on the Earth without even a google search._ In her hand was a five pound bag of** Banco Nusso Coffee, **worth a cool $2500. If the equipment and spare time that was vital to being a vigilante didn't tell her before, this told Chloe that her Emerald archer was very rich. _Rich enough to blow that much money on coffee anyway. _The blonde rushed over to her coffee machine, tipping out her old, now slightly insignificant pre-grounded coffee, and quickly grounded the new beans. The smell had her taste buds craving for that unique sensation and after the water had finished boiling, she poured herself a mug. She didn't bother soaking into it but instead took a long swig. _My god, that's good stuff. I could get used to this..._

It was almost enough of a distraction to take her away from the final item of the care package. Mentally slapping herself, she dashed back over to the pile and took up the earpiece; feeling half badass, half stupid and half exhausted. A little bleep told her that she had successfully turned it on. She walked over to her stereo, put on the album _All our Favourite Stories by Dog is Dead _as background music and then turned to the window before eventually gathering the courage to actually say something.

"Hello? Green Arrow?" she spoke nervously, feeling ridiculous.

"Nice of you to drop in, Sidekick," replied a distorted voice.

"That was quick, have you got nothing better to do than wait by the phone for my call?" Chloe joked.

"What can I say? When a beautiful woman says she will, who am I to turn that down," came back the Green Arrow.

"I never said I would call you, I only offered to help. And, to be honest, I can't see how I'm going to do that from my little cosy apartment," she said.

"I've already thought of that. Look on your windowsill," the modern day Robin Hood instructed her.

"There's nothing there," Chloe said, wondering how she missed whatever the hero was talking about.

"Look on the one I was hanging off this morning," he added. She could hear his grin, even with the distorter.

"I can't believe my cousin didn't see you," Chloe admitted as she walked around to the next window. There was a brand new, top of the range, Mango Laptop resting on the bare brick. "Woah, you don't do things by half, do you? First the coffee, then this."

"You like it?"

"What can I say? I'm almost on my second cup already and I've wanted one of these since the press conference where Mr Ognam revealed it. Thank you but you really didn't have to. The only thing I'm wondering is why this didn't end up with the rest of the booty?" Chloe speculated, a grin on her face. _I feel like a High school girl on the phone to her crush..._

"Didn't want to risk smashing such an expensive piece of tech. Don't want to destroy my guardian angel's laptop before she got her hands on it, seems too wasteful even for me."

"Smart thinking Quick Silver," Chloe falsely congratulated, "Still managed to fail to think of saving said angel's brickwork by leaving the rest of the items with the computer instead of dangling on an arrow though."

There was silence on the other end for a moment and a smile spread across Chloe's face, enjoying having the upper hand. "Yeah sorry about that, didn't think it through," he admitted, his voice dropping slightly so he sounded like a young boy who had just been scolded.

Chloe laughed as the idea of a skilled and deadly vigilante being scared of a petite blonde who wouldn't go near a spider out of fear. "Don't worry about it. Believe me, I've dealt with much worst from other heroes. You all seem to have an acute sense of drama about whatever you do. Is it in the contract you're forced to sign when you decide to don the tights?"

"They're not tigh-" the Green Arrow started to protest but decided against it. He already knew it was a battle he would never win. "Did you manage to log on ok?"

Chloe was now sat down on the sofa with her legs tucked underneath her, the laptop resting on her thighs. "Yeah I did but I'm definitely changing my login name. Did you seriously think I'd be ok with Arrow'sGirl?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't notice actually," the Emerald Archer confessed cheekily.

"I don't think you'd want me as your sidekick if I failed to see that," Chloe retorted.

"Are you saying you're my sidekick now?" he asked, tongue in cheek.

"Certainly not. Do you see me getting sweaty in leather any time soon?" Chloe retorted.

"It can certainly be arranged," the Green Arrow shouted down the line. _Stop thinking about her clad in leather lingerie and focus on the landing. _Chloe could hear the sound of the wind and the buzz of a zip line rippling out in the background. "Do you get how it all works?"

"Seems simple enough. A red dot shows me where a crime is happening, I relay it to you and once you're done kicking ass then I dispatch a call to the cops," Chloe summed up. The glow of the laptop brightened as a little green dot pooped up on the map. "Oh, there you are."

"Green Arrow online," came the distorted voice. Chloe tried to ignore the rush of hearing the metallic sounds and the associations of danger and carnal attraction that went with it. "Where's first class of the day Professor?"

"Mugging, 72nd street, Bulmer's Avenue, go Arrow," Chloe informed him. She listened to the flick of the zip line and the brief scuffle before and another hard landing confirmed his return to the rooftops. "What is it with you and nicknames anyway?"

"Firstly, it's much safer this way- don't want to use real names on the air. Secondly, you should be flattered, I only do it for the cute ones," Green Arrow complimented his companion.

"Stop flirting Arrow. Start shooting straight or this professor will finish class early. And didn't you christen yourself with the name, you narcissistic dog. Car Jacking one block up to your right," Chloe said, blushing just a tad.

"You know," the Emerald Archer panted, free running across buildings to get to the crime, "I should call you light house. I mean you do show me the way: watching out for me in the little tower block of apartments."

"No chance. While you might have the same charm as a scurvy hound, there's no chance of me spending my evenings guiding pirates."

"Shame," he grunted, punching out the jacker. "I'm sure it will come to me."

"Can't I think of my own? Shootout at 75th street."

"On it. I personally think you wouldn't give yourself an epic enough name. Far too modest for that. I think I'd do a much better job," he boasted, the humour pouring through his voice despite the distorter.

"I'm sure you would. Coming from the man who dreamt up with the Green Arrow, who am I to turn that down?" Chloe teased. She pulled up the CCTV footage of the street her hero was on and watched him at work. With the gunmen firing at him now, he shot an arrow in a fire hydrant which exploded on impact. The road and it's occupants, who were distracted by the sound and turned to look, were all soaked in water. Meanwhile, the hooded vigilante zip lined out of the liquid's range and shot a second electric arrow down. All the criminals shook as the current ran through them and finally collapsed into a deep slumber. Chloe had to tip her hat to his handy work. It was impressive stuff. "Nice moves you've got there, Quick Silver."

"Thanks sidekick. They say behind every great man is a pushy woman," The Green Arrow laughed.

"Hey, I think that's a little harsh," Chloe responded.

"You're right. At least you've got all night to prove me wrong, LightHouse."

"And you've got all night to think of a better codename..."

xxXxx

**Author's Note: Hello again everyone! Thank you so much for the follows and favourites of my story since last time I posted. Your support means everything to me. This is my longest chapter to date and I even had to cut it short to get it out on time. Still, it managed to slowly build up more of Metallo and Lex along with the character of Victor Stone and some very important issues with him. We also saw Chloe meet Kara and that was so much fun to write and we finally witnessed a Green Arrow patrol first hand. His and Chloe's relationship will certainly be something I'll explore in the next chapter. That and what the Daily Planet crew get up to after work and maybe the return of the elusive Dark Knight. It's all getting very exciting in my eyes at least.**

**On to my favourite people: reviewers. Thank you very much JamesTKent and hollywoodwiz (Love your stories btw), the support is greatly appreciated. To 'Guest,' I'm so happy that you are pleased when I post and I hope this bit of Kara/Chloe goodness will quench that thirst for you! Onto, Flpirate305. What you wrote was genuinely the nicest thing I've ever read on this site and I even showed my family what you wrote because it really touched me. I love writing Lois and Clark as I think they have such a great balance on the show and I was glad you enjoyed it. Too say it was flawless was far too kind. **** I have not managed to see MOS yet as it has been so sunny here I haven't wanted to go to the cinema and I've been babysitting about 6/7 nights for the last fortnight! I hope you enjoy this chapter and the Kara/Chloe friendship and Chlollie lives up to your expectations.**

**Thanks again to everyone who has read and reviewed my story and you guys deserve a prize for reading my ramblings for this long! Anyway, it's one in the morning here and I need to hit the hay. See you next time! Cheers!**


	20. Chapter 20

Thanks** for reading and please take the time to review as they mean everything and make a massive impact on how I write. Cheers!**

The time was five to seven and the bullpen had died down to only the most prominent writers and those squeezing in last minute changes before giving their articles in to the editor. The lights were slightly lower and the coffee pot seemed to be always on as the ambitious reporters worked their socks off. Among them was a newly formed partnership, finishing up their first piece. Lois gave a final, triumphant tap to their keyboard and raised her arms into the air in celebration. "One front page article on the press conference, rewritten and spell-checked, submitted just before the deadline. We make a half decent team Smallville."

Clark couldn't help but enjoy the view as Lois' assets pressed against the fabric of her shirt. _Stop it Kent, that's not how your persona acts. _Fiddling with his glasses nervously, he averted his eyes and set them on the article they had just produced. It felt good to share a byline with someone like Lois. Not only was she the most beautiful person he had ever met in his life, mixing cute with downright sexy, but she seemed to match him hit for hit and had a compassionate side that he hadn't seen before. She had changed so much since her stay at the farm and Clark couldn't believe had longed after Lana for all that time. _And she had been right there, under the same roof..._

"Hello, Earth to Clark," Lois called out to him, now throwing her jacket around her shoulders. "You're in the city now. We move and think fast, no sitting around and moping for us. You're not in Smallville anymore Toto!"

"I'm sorry Lois, I'm just trying to take it all in. The impossible has just happened. I just wrote an article for the Daily Planet that may feature on the front page tomorrow to be read by millions around the world. Not only that but I had Lois Lane help me do it. My high school self would call me crazy if you told him that," Clark mused spinning in his chair and making the brunette wince at the sound as it squeaked.

Recovering quickly Lois turned to stare at her new partner. "Oh no Smallville, you don't get to say that you would find this crazy. After all, living it big in the city must have been a wet dream for Barnboy. Especially when you get to partner with someone of my calibre on your first day. How did you manage that anyway? I had to work my but off before I was even sniffed at."

"I can't tell you that Lois, then you'd know all my secrets," Clark said mysteriously, turning off his computer.

"The only secret I want to know of yours is your Mum's Apple Pie recipe. Other than that, there's not much more to the story of Clark Kent," Lois teased walking away from the twin desks towards the doors. Once she reached there, she looked back: "C'mon, I'll buy you a celebration drink. You managed to survive your first day without totally screwing things up, the whole being thrown out of the press conference aside."

"I have a feeling that that might happen more often than not," Clark whispered under his breath. _Lois had a certain charm and some didn't quite see it in the same way as her friends and family did. I have a feeling I'll be following her out as we get removed more than once for sure. _He was slightly relieved that his partner had fallen under the pretences that Clark Kent was nothing but a normal man.

"This better not be your first drink. I mean have they even heard of alcohol out in the town famous for its corn?" Lois laughed as the pair approached the main lobby and doors out of the Daily Planet.

"I'm in if there's alcohol involved," roared Steve Lombard clapping Lois on the shoulder.

Cat slinked around the muscular man and smiled. "I could do with a happy hour indulgence."

"Why not? May as well, seem a little date-ish anyway, wouldn't it partner?" Lois chimed in, getting into the mood.

"I, uh," Clark stumbled slightly at the irony but also how forward she was being.

"Ah leave the poor kid alone," laughed Steve, now clapping Clark's back- getting a put on 'ooff' for effect. The moustached man seemed to enjoy the gesture of masculinity and overcompensated even further by digging his hand into his pocket and pulling out a set of car keys. "How about I drive us in my Dodge to a local bar where we'll get cheap drinks and a nice place to sit because I happen to know the owner from my bullfighting days back in Spain." He clicked the fob and a bright orange Dodge Charger flashed in recognition.

"Sounds good to me," said Cat dashing forward and opening the door so that Clark and Lois could bundle into the back. "Stop lying about Spain though, everyone knows you never really went there on a gap year. And the car isn't even yours! You were rented it so that you could write an article on it." The rest of the gang snickered like school children as the bulky man walked around to the driver's side.

"What can I say Cat? I have to say these things if I'm going to impress a beautiful lady like yourself," he outrageously flirted. The whole car seemed to drop as he fell into the driver's seat and inserted the keys into the ignition. Cat joined him on the passengers side and put on the radio. The intro to _Johnny B. Goode by Chuck Berry _broke out and Lombard broke into a massive grin as he put the car in gear. "Next stop, MacLaren's!"

xxXxx

Green Arrow was sprinting over rooftops, rushing to get to a cry for help. He finally reached the lip of a building that formed part of a murky alley and without hesitation he drew a titanium arrow from his quiver. Between his imaginary crosshairs was a hairy man dressed in leather pushing himself up again a young girl, one hand holding her neck and the other fiddling with the belt holding up his cargo trousers. The Emerald Archer hesitated no longer and let fly.

The thug heard the shot as it cut through the air before he felt the pain. The arrow head sliced between the pair, through a gap that seemed inhumanely possible and into his wrist. It was expertly placed, in the space between the two bones in the forearm before they met the palm. This meant that the criminal had no permanent damage despite the metal penetrating all the way through the flesh and out the other side where it buried itself into a dumpster. "Argh! What the fuck?" he shouted as blood spewed from the wound.

The Green Arrow swung down from three storeys up on a zip line and landed fluidly. "I wouldn't try to pull that out if I were you. If you think that's a lot of blood then wait until the vein it comes from isn't partially blocked by the world's best arrow," He warned, knowing that if he scared the criminal, he would be easier to contain. "Your best bet is to wait until the authorities arrive with the paramedics."

"Putting the call through now Arrow," Chloe informed him reassuringly through the comm in his ear. The sound of her voice was incredibly sexy despite the circumstances. "Don't forget about the girl QuickSilver, she still needs you." This is where Oliver felt slightly out of his comfort zone. He could happily put away bad guys and dealing with women who were after his wallet came as second nature. He turned towards her, lowering his bow and wishing the hood, distorter and sunglasses were a little less intimidating. The girl was crouched, almost sat on the cold hard concrete, her face drenched with tears and she didn't look up at her hero, instead burying her eyes downward. _What do you say to a young girl who has just had a much older man force himself onto her? _"Check if she's ok and reassure her you're on the good side. Right now, you're probably looking like the next villain in her fairytale," Chloe advised, helping Oliver regain his confidence.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. Your safe now," the Modern Day Robin Hood promised the teenager, reeling from his excessive use of cliches. "He will never touch you again."

The Green Arrow stretched out a gloved hand and after a moments hesitation, he felt fingers of a smaller, fragile hand wrap around it. He helped her up and was slightly shocked as she dived into a full embrace. Slightly taken aback, the hero recovered and returned the gesture in a reassuring hug. "Thank you," she breathed against his leather covered chest. "He came out of nowhere and I know I shouldn't have walked home at this time of night let alone been this unprepared but I had to get this job," she burst out in a rush.

"A job? You must be fifteen at most. Where are your parents?" The hero asked, pulling away slightly so he could look at her face.

"I'm an orphan, I escaped from my care home where they abused the kids. I just couldn't take it anymore. I found this place and I heard Mr Angger could get work for anyone, no questions asked. I can't go back there now so it was this or nothing," she explained.

Oliver knew of Jim Angger's dirty exploits. From illegal gambling to prostitution, he swam in every murky body of water he possibly could. "I'm sorry about that," he said, realising it didn't sound very comforting with the metallic voice. "Never think about going into Angger's line of work again and take this to help you stay afloat for now," he instructed, pulling out $200 out of a pocket made for just an occasion. "I promise you, as long as you do good, honest things, your life will become infinitely better..." he trailed, indicating she should fill in with her name.

"Katie Cullingham. And thank you. I don't even know you or your name," the girl gushed, after carefully taking the money.

"A name restricts a person from becoming what they potentially could be. Their actions become a gesture for good and so the cause is furthered. A cause that everyone of us can pursue no matter who we are nor the circumstances we are in. But for the record, you can call me Green Arrow when you tell everyone about me," he added in cheekily before firing off a Grapple Arrow off out to the skyscrapers, for the Police had just arrived around the corner.

"Nice job, Arrow, I think you might have turned that person's life around," Chloe complimented down the line. "Maybe we should call it a night?"

"Just one last offense before i go," he informed his sidekick, soaring through the air.

Chloe took the device out of her ear as the normal background noise and the oddly attractive voice that went with it cut off with a beep and a click. She was staring at the comm when The Green Arrow went flying through the window for the second time in two nights. This time he didn't shatter any panes of glass as he came through the space but still managed to scare the apartment's occupant. Her laptop almost ended up on the floor and the comm shot from her hand. Luckily, the hero made the catch and set it down on the coffee table. Chloe recovered herself and stood up, arms crossed. "Nice catch, Outlaw of Nottingham," she lead sarcastically but with a smile that reassured him he wasn't in any trouble. "I thought you had one last crime to stop?"

"Yeah well, leaving a beautiful woman like yourself, who has taken the time to help you seek out the scum of the Earth, without a thank you would land me with some serious jail time," Green Arrow flirted.

Chloe suddenly became quite self conscious of what she was wearing. In her concentration, she hadn't really thought about her comfort and now remembered that she still had the green leather jacket on from lunch with Oliver Queen. "You don't have to thank me. While I don't have the skills to go out into the back alleys and fight criminals hand to hand, I like to think I can do my bit for the good of the world," she said, turning her back on the hero and slipping off the coat.

"Oh no don't do that, it fitted perfectly with the login name," he joked, jumping forward with his arm stretched for melodramatic effect. When she pivoted and gave him a look that told him he might get in trouble if he carried on. "Sorry, I was only joking."

"I know that. You are nowhere near as sharp as the arrowheads in your quiver," Chloe shot back, enjoying the blow for blow action. She span around and perched herself on the edge of her breakfast bar, letting her high heels drop off. "You did a fantastic job tonight. I think if we keep this up, we can make a difference."

"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without you being my guardian angel. If you hadn't of helped, I would have been running around like a headless chicken for most of the evening and then any criminals I did find would have probably bled to death by now anyhow," Oliver summarized.

"You're being a little harsh on yourself, but we do make a good team. Five muggings, two car jacks, a robbery and a rape prevented in one evening and I know you've impacted that girl's life for the better," Chloe genuinely commended. It had been inspiring to listen to her hero help the young girl.

"I can only thank you again Chloe. I think being a hero isn't just stopping crime but helping people find the good in them," he set out his ideals.

"I think I know someone who you'd get on very well with. You'd probably set up some sort of organisation or something so you could have group therapy sessions about justice," she laughed at the sight of Clark and Green Arrow sat around, sipping coffee and debating techniques on saving people. It all seemed a little surreal.

"As long as you'd be around to guide us," Oliver said stepping forward again and leaning against the back of her sofa so that he was face to face with his sidekick. "I have a feeling that without someone at the helm, we'd only end up bickering all the time."

"Sorry to let you down there, but I'm more than happy with my place at the Daily Planet. Coffee?" She asked, grabbing a mug and pouring herself a forth cup of coffee. It was heaven in a cup.

"No thanks, gotta avoid that stuff if I'm to keep the muscles," the hero replied, flexing his bulging biceps for effect.

_Woah._ Chloe set down her coffee and pretended to fall off the countertop. "Jesus Arrow, your ego almost took me right off this ledge," she smirked, looking into his sunglasses. Despite what she said, a tender moment passed between them.

The Emerald Archer coughed lightly, doing the gentlemanly thing of breaking the tension, even if the look she was giving him was driving him wild. "So you mentioned the we could make a difference. Does that mean you plan on doing this again?" He probed.

"If you'd have me," Chloe responded, grinning and looking into her cup.

"Only if you let me pick your nickname," Oliver challenged causing Chloe's head to snap up.

"Because the last two went so well," Chloe teased, pushing her hero away playfully. "I mean Lighthouse? If I was reviewing your naming skills, I definitely would have pointed that out as a big no no!"

"I'm sorry if I can't think of anything Shakespeare worthy while diving from rooftop to rooftop," the Modern day Robin Hood defended himself lightly, picking himself up and turning away from her so his back was facing her.

"I'll remember that when your required to think fast on the job," Chloe pushed some more, hopping down from the breakfast bar and standing behind the man.

"WatchTower!" Oliver exclaimed loudly, spinning around.

The petite blonde had managed to herself get right up into his personal space by accident and despite the fact that if a stranger walked into the apartment, they would think they had interrupted an intimate moment but Chloe didn't care. It was comfortable. "I like it. Punchy and professional. I think I can work with WatchTower."

"I'm glad that you like it," the hero whispered, struck by how close she was to him. _Ah what the hell, bite the bullet_. Raising his gloved hand, Green Arrow gently stroked the hair from the fair face that was before him and kissed her gently. What started off as tentative quickly turned into hard hitting passionate as the pair desperately pulled at one another. She tasted of coffee and his tongue found itself dominated by Chloe's, something that hadn't happened to him before. Her skin was soft and he enjoyed the sensation of feeling the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Her body was warm from being inside and he pressed up against her as the pair grew slightly more aggressive.

Chloe indulged herself in the kiss and for once in her life, let herself throw caution to the wind and give into her desires. This kind of thing never really happened to her and for now she wasn't going to worry about the consequences. Her fingers gasped at his leather as one of her hands ran along his muscular spine while the other was placed on his chest, pressing into his defined collarbones (even through the material). His touch was cool as the night outside and her senses burned with the feel of it as she gripped at his lapels, tugging him onto her in carnal lust.

This action caused the pair to overbalance and they stumbled over the back of the couch, landing awkwardly in a mess of limps and clothing. It was a miracle Green Arrow's sunglasses remained on his face as the pair broke briefly to rearrange themselves. Chloe lay under him, her head between cushions, staring up at her partner towering over her. He dived down to seize her lips once again, not bothering with unnecessary words and she rose to meet him just as eagerly. The laptop, his equipment and a steaming mug of some of the most expensive coffee lay forgotten as the pair shared each other's bodies to a level beyond simple desire.

xxXxx

**Author's Note: Heyoo from Las Vegas! Yes I am in the gambling home which is insane. I've only been here a couple of hours and I'm so jet lagged (it's about midnight back in the UK and I've been up 24 hours straight haha). But I had to get this out to you guys as you were so good to me last week. The only thing is I might have to stop posting until I Get back which sucks buuuuut I will write whenever I can to try and prevent that, no promises though!**

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I wish I had the time to finish the Daily Planet scene, but Ill have that to you next time. This chapter was ridiculousLy fluffy but I don't care as Chlollie needed the love :D**

**On to the best people on the planet: reviewers. Thanks to RollingUpHigh for reviewing and I hope this big step in their relationship (kinda) will quench your thirst. Same goes for the guest who reviewed, I wish could could address you by a name :) On to honestly my favourite person on the site: ****Flpirate305. Thank you so much for taking the time to write so much, I feel on top of the world when I see something like this so thanks again! You pretty much experienced exactly what I want my readers to feel and it gives me confidence that I am actually succeeding in my goal. Victor's struggle will become very important to his character and the development of his and Kara's relationship. Speaking of we will see more of her soon as she is so much fun to write. As for lighthouse, I'm sorry Im a bit of a tease. But we've got it right now and I hope you saw Chloe's comment/shout out to you in this chapter! Thank you again for the longest review I've ever seen and you have become a motivational muse (not in a creepy WB Yeats way) to me. Ica013, you were the first person I fully interacted with on this site and were actually the reason I felt brave enough to start posting. I'm beyond happy to hear you are still reading and it honestly doesn't matter if you are catching up. Thank you for your comment on the GA and Chloe intro, it filled me with pride and gratitude towards you. I hope enjoy what's to come. Finally onto the latest guest review (and wish I could address you by a name but hey). I really appreciate your feedback, even if it is critical and I plan/have made changes. You make a solid point, for a fic as long as mine, there isn't a lot of romance yet but I wanted to go for an angle that was similar to the comics and that meant for delays. However, I have decided to change the description so that it is less misleading. There will be some to come but I'm not sure how long that will take given the previous 40,000 words. I will stick with my couples though as I like the number of interactions and story lines that come with them. Thank you for telling me your grievances and I hope you are satisfied with the adjustments I have made. I also hope you keep reading but that of course is up to you. Thanks again to all my reviewers and I hope to hear from you soon. **  


******Keeping up with the couples talk, I have decided to drop Batman and Selina for now as there just isn't enough room at the moment. Batman will still be important in regards to Metallo and Selina will return after he is dealt with. Sorry about that! **

******Anyway see you guys next time and thanks again! **

******Cheers!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello everyone and welcome back. Please drop me a review as it's great to know what you think good or bad and ill address every one. Cheers!**

Three of the quartet were seated in a green padded booth while Steve Lombard returned with three lagers and a martini. He set the collection of drinks on the edge of the table, joining several other glasses already on the wooden surface from the previous three rounds and handed the odd one out to Cat before passing the other two onto the new partners. He took a large swig of his own pint and slammed it back onto the table spilling some of the golden liquid. Clark sipped his beer in a slightly more reserved manner, knowing that the alcohol wouldn't affect him but he could see it was already taking its toll on his human workmates. Cat was slurring, Steve was somehow louder than before and Lois was getting more brash by the second, currently winking at a set of college boys from Met Uni. "Thanks for these Steve, you really don't have to buy a forth round for us. I'm more than happy to get the next lot in," he offered.

"Don't worry about it my son," Steve bellowed, rolling around in his seat. "This is your first day on the job celebration so you can't buy any drinks. And I can't let the ladies buy any for themselves as a gentleman. It's my pleasure."

"Jesus Smallville," Lois butted in, returning from eye flirting with the frat members, "it's easy to tell you come from the hick town of manners. No one from Metropolis ever thanks anyone for anything."

"Nor do they ever give anyone anything," Cat continued, pointing at Steve. "It's lucky Lombard here is from Minnesota or I would be dry at the waterhole. Thanks for that Steven, for tonight and every time before that."

"I think that's the first time you've ever thanked me Cat," Steve joked. "Must be Clark's influence. I think you're the part our little group has always been missing."

"How can you know that, you've only known me a day," Clark replied lightly, enjoying the taste of his lager.

"I don't know," he replied flippantly, "it seems like someone has been writing about us for decades."

"Yeah it's about time they finally brought in a man at the office," Cat smirked, drawing a cry of mock hurt from Steve. "Wouldn't you agree Lois?"

"I don't know about that," Lois grinned, giving Clark an evil, cheeky look. A pregnant moment allowed the mild mannered reporter to remember all the things she had seen during her time at the Kent Farm: from his rumblings over Lana to embarrassing photos to awkward situations including their first ever meeting. _Don't think of Clark jr Lois... _"But it **is **nice to see you out of plaid for once, you must be lost without it."

"I don't know about that Lois since half of my shirts seemed to go missing after you left," Clark fired back.

Lois dipped her head slightly and went a tad red as the rest of the table laughed. "Didn't know you were into farm boys Lane," Lombard roared, slamming his fist on the table and taking another large swig.

"Don't laugh too hard, no of us want to bring up your leather days do they Steve?" Cat reminded, bringing the muscular man to an abrupt stop.

"Remember how the boots used to squeak whenever he walked, so we knew when he was coming?"Lois dug further.

"And the ridiculous way he swung his jacket whenever he took it off?"

"And when he tore a massive hole on his arse while showing off how many lunges he could do?" The girls broke into hysterics and clinked their glasses together. Clark gave into a brief chuckle, enjoying the atmosphere of his colleagues.

Steve smiled grimly before clearing his throat. "All that aside, I think we're forgetting the real reason we're here. A toast: to Clark Kent, newest member of the Daily Planet is ever likely to see!"

The group raised their glasses and brought them together before draining them of the remaining liquid. "Let's celebrate further with tequila shots," Lois burst out, starting to slide from the booth.

"Oh no," Cat placed her hand on the brunette's thigh and stopped her in her tracks," that only leads to Christmas Party Lois and I'm not cleaning that up again. Plus it's only a Monday night and I could really do without a hang over tomorrow."

"Fair point Kitty Kat, I don't think my wallet can take another hit anyhow," Steve said standing.

"Don't call me that," Cat warned. "Let's make a move. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you then," Clark bid farewell to the pair, who left arm in arm. "I'll walk you home Lois, I need to speak to Chloe anyway."

Thanks Clark. Still a step down from last night- even you have no chance of beating Superman," she nudged him as they left the bar.

"I bet so," Clark laughed at the irony more than anything. He noticed Lois shivered in the cold and immediately removed his suit jacket. "Here take this."

"Thank you," Lois replied, taking the coat and wrapping it around her, "You know, you're no where near as annoying as a remember."

"Thanks? You're slightly more tolerable yourself Lois," Clark smirked.

"Hey, watch it. I can still kick your ass," Lois threatened lightly with a smile on her face. "And just for the record, I never stole any of your plaid."

"Oh sure, just like you never liked Shelby at all," Clark teased.

"Don't make me bring up things of the past you hope to remain dead and buried."

"Not like CHloe's eighteenth birthday party then?" Clark pushed even further but stopping after seeing the look in his partner's eyes. It was one he had feared all through high school and it brought back memories of their spats in the barn. Instead of driving Lois up the wall even more, he decided on a different tact. "What do you think of Superman?" he asked out of curiosity.

Lois' whole figure changed, somehow raising and brightening herself. "You did read my article right?"

"Yeah, it was brilliant. But that was for everyone to read. What about the opinion you've carefully tucked away?" Clark delved deeper.

"He's incredible. What he's sacrificed in order to give it all to the citizens of Metropolis is amazing," Lois swooned.

"Most people seem to think he's some kind of threat to us," Clark said, as they walked around the corner onto her block.

"Do you agree with them?"

"I don't know what to think, he's only been around for a couple of days. I guess I, and the people of Metropolis, need more time to figure it out."

"Well I don't. He's a force for good, I'm certain of it," Lois stated firmly.

"How can you be so sure Lois?" Clark asked, ecstatic for alter ego.

"His eyes. Their honest; the most honest I've ever seen."

Clark rubbed the right-side frame of his glasses nervously and looked away. "I didn't know you were such a romantic Lois."

"There's a lot you don't know about me Mr Kent," Lois dodged the bullet- not willing to reveal something so personal like her relationship with Superman to someone she had just got to know again.

"I'm sure I'm going to find that more often than not Mis Lane," Clark replied as they entered the building and made their way up to her floor in the lift.

xxXxx

Oliver felt bad about how he had ended up making out with Chloe as Green Arrow but he couldn't stop himself. Every time he pulled away to apologise or sort out the situation, she tugged at him harder. It wasn't as if he wanted to because it took everything just to attempt to break from her. He had never experienced anything like her; kissing her was the best feeling in the world. In all honesty, it was indescribable. _Sure it's messy but it's easily the best I've ever had. _Their limbs were tangled and all caution was thrown to the wind as they attacked each other in a romantic duel. Her scent blossomed in his nostrils as he ran his gloved hand through her hair and he struggled with the amount of skin he had access to. He ached for more but he had already stumbled into a situation by even starting to have feelings for her, let alone this. Despite that, he had never felt more passionate with anyone.

_What are you doing Chloe?_ The blonde pushed up on the body that was filling a hunger she didn't know existed and before he could comment, rolled around so she was on top. Despite how screwed up the situation was, their was nothing she could do to prevent herself from continuing. It seemed as though she was releasing something she had kept hidden away when longing after Clark and exploring with Jimmy. His lip broke away from hers and before she could protest he was attached once again to the curve of her, making his way down to her defined collarbones. _I never do anything like this. Lois is always saying I should grab the next hunky guy that comes into my life but I always refuse as it's __definitely something I don't do. If only she could see_ me_ now!_

Chloe laughed again as the Green Arrow rolled again and in doing so slipped off the side of the couch, crashing into the the coffee table. CHloe froze, pulling away from her hero and sitting bolt upright. "Are you ok?" asked a concerned Emerald Archer, who had still managed to land below the petite blonde with his legs remaining on the sofa.

"I'm fine but I think my cousin's about to join us and there's all kind of things wrong with that," Chloe ushered urgently. _I didn't mean it when I said Lois should see me... _The pair rushed to unpick themselves from each other and the Green Arrow gathered up all his equipment before perching on the windowsill and firing off a zip line. He turned back to an uncharacteristically flustered Chloe who had joined him at the opening. "Are our rendezvouses always going to end like this?"

"Just go!" Chloe replied, a humorous smile on her face as she half pushed him from the ledge. She watched as he flew across to the next rooftop but was jolted from the rose tinted scene as she heard the key in the door. She span around and sprinted towards the sofa before flinging herself onto the couch, dragging her laptop off the ground as the door opened.

"I told you I could open the door Smallville. You need to take the rod out of your ass because I'm completely sober," ranted Lois as the pair came through the door. Clark held up three fingers and mouthed 'three times' from behind her back to Chloe. "Hey cuz, you alright?"

"Yeah I'm great," Chloe breathed, trying not to look as flustered as she felt. "Just typing up my Oliver Queen interview.

"How did that go?" asked Lois as she struggled with the zipper of her boots. "I'm guessing you didn't drag him back for a night of hot love making?" Clark coughed lightly and bent down to help Lois as Chloe blushed.

"Not exactly," Chloe spoke quietly, thinking of the previous fifteen minutes with Green Arrow. "I did get good stuff from him though."

"I bet you did," Lois leered jokingly, finally free from her shoes. "Jesus Chloe, what happened in here?"

Clark finally surveyed the room, having had his eyes on Lois. The wind cut through the room through the open, previously shattered and blew about some of the papers lying around. Cushions were spread around the room as were coffee beans that surrounded a now lukewarm mug of coffee. The sofa and the adjacent were askew and one of Chloe's bracelets lay on the floor, casualty of the Modern Day Robin Hood. "Chloe i looks like you've been burgled, are you ok?" He asked, turning to finally look at his best friend. "Chloe, you look like you've been attacked, what happened here?"He rushed over to her but she moved away.

"I'm fine," she insisted, trying to settle her hair down as it was mussed up from having leather gloves run through it.

"You look sexed up cuz," laughed Lois, looking around, "and very well judging by the state of this place."

"I was frustrated, the words weren't coming to me," Chloe feebly excused, shocked at how poor the lie was after all the years of covering for Clark.

"I smell a rat. You never run out of words when you write- it's why you're one of the best. But I'll let it go for now as I'm dying to get to sleep."

"I'm sure you'll be on the scent soon, Mad Dog Lane," Chloe smirked.

"Night Chloe. I'm ignoring that for the sake of my bed. See you in the morning Kent," Lois wished them goodnight, slamming her door in a Lane like manner.

"I'll help you tidy up," Clark offered, picking up a couple of papers and placing them on the table.

"Thanks, how was your first day?" Asked Chloe straightening the table.

"I got kicked out of a Luthor Press Conference; wrote an article with the one and only Lois Lane and then had to escort her home from drinks with colleagues," Clark recounted, pouring away the coffee.

Chloe hid her wince and smiled at her best friend: "sounds like an average day at the Daily Planet. Here's to forty more years until retirement and death."

"Nicely put," Clark laughed, checking Lois was well out of hearing range before continuing. "How was Kara?"

Chloe burst into a fit of laughter as she slipped her bracelet back on. "She was great. Got a lot to learn but then again she hasn't had the same two decades worth of Earth time that you had. I think we'll get along."

"I'm glad Chloe, she's been alone for so long," Clark said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"She's got us now and when she gets back from the rainforest or Africa, wherever she decided to go, well introduce her to the rest of the gang and find her a place to call home," Chloe offered. She was looking forward to adding another member to their little family of friends.

"Sounds good. I was hoping you would set her up with some identification. I'd rather not go to the Luthors like my parents did, especially with you on speed dial."

"Already on it. Should be finished in the in the next couple of days," Chloe confirmed.

"Thanks Chloe, you truly are the best," Clark said, giving the petite blonde a hug. "Get some sleep, I don't want to have to replace your blood with caffeine."

"That's definitely we need to get on that, soon," Chloe started, mildly joking bit also slightly praying for it to happen one day. She was about to go into it further when she saw the look on the reporter's face. "What's wrong?"

"Explosion at a bank on fifth. I've gotta go," Clark informed her, speeding off, leaving a pile of clothes at the blonde's feet.

"See you later Supes," Chloe bid farewell as she picked up the offending articles and took them in her room so Lois wouldn't find them before crashing onto her bed.

xxXxx

Superman arrived at the scene to a bizarre sight. The homeless people of Metropolis and the odd person out at such a late hour were darting about snatching at the air. Dollar bills poured out of the vault and through the open bank onto the street. _This is odd. _Scanning the area with his X-ray vision, the Man of Steel couldn't see any criminals packing bills into bags nor any injured victims from the explosion. Aside from those desperate people grabbing as many bits of paper as they could, the place was empty. The Last Son of Krypton swooped down to the metal vault door, which had clearly been blown off its hinges. It was an easy fix, all Superman had to do was weld the metal back onto the frame with his heat vision. It was too easy and he knew there was something wrong.**  
**

Superman stepped out from the bank to see that while the homeless people had scattered , they had been replaced by various members of the press. _How did they get here so quick? _

Metropolis' Marvel walked through the crowd, not taking off into the air so that he didn't scare the group surrounding him. Questions shot at him left and right. Why didn't you take the money? What do you think you'll achieve by becoming this vigilante? Do you realise you could become the most famous person on the planet. What is your reaction to people wanting to worship you as a god? Why don't you rule the world with your powers? Where were you for disasters before now? Why are you even here?

Superman had had enough. He rose ten feet, causing the crowd to jump back in fright. "I don't want money or fame or world domination. I just want to help people," he told the bustling reporters. As he soared over the city, Clark thought over what had just happened.

_That was far too convenient, too choreographed. Someone wanted to see what I would do with the temptations of my powers. Someone wanted to test Superman..._

xxXxx

**Author's note: Hey everyone, I'm back from the USA! What a country that is, I can't wait to go back. It's good to be back in England where the weather is bad and we drive on the left haha. I wrote this chapter on a pad of paper in airports, on planes, in the car and in the middle of Death Valley so it's been quite the task. Still enjoyable but I'm sorry for the delays. I hope this bit of Clois and Chlollie help :)**

**Next chapter is a big 'un as its starts a new day, Metallo rises and we see the fallout for all our couples. Actually, being realistic and knowing the type of writer I am, it's unlikely to all be in that chapter but hey, what can you do?**

**On to the best people of all: reviewers. Thank you so much to you guys for the support and it really helps me to write and improve My prose. Anyway, thanks to twoandtwo for my single review this week. I hope you enjoy the Chlollie in this chapter as they finally take that large step and there's even more to come very soon. Unfortunately not the same for Clark and Lois but Superman should get the pleasure of her company some time soon. I also hope the bar scene fills the persona thirst a tad, even if it might be a little OCC. Thank you once again, I hope to hear from you soon.**

**Thanks once again guys for your patience and for your support. Every review, follow, favourite and view motivates me to continue. Cheers!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Welcome back everyone, I'm sorry for the delay but please take the time to review as it helps me to write and I really appreciate all comments on my work. Cheers!**

Lex was exhausted, his running his hand over his face emphasising that fact. It had been busy day; what with the announcement of his run for vice presidency; dealing with Clark Kent and reviewing the progress of Metallo. But he had to stay up for the most important thing of the day. He had to remain awake for the report on what happened at the bank.

As if the deities had been listening to his thoughts, the phone on his desk rang. Lex span in his chair, sweeping the handset of the oak surface in a fluid motion and put the speaker to his air as he stopped facing the expansive view of nighttime Metropolis. "I hope you have good news Carter," he opened with.

"The operation was a success. Your funds only lost around $15,000 tonight, a sum much smaller than we expected," Carter began.

"I don't care about the money Carter, talk to me about the target," Lex interrupted, raising his voice. He didn't care for his fortune now he had this new fixation.

"The target arrived as expected and it quickly became clear that he wasn't after any of money, despite its vulnerable position. In fact, he sealed the door back on to prevent any more from spilling out."

"Did he leave his insignia?" Lex asked, his interest piqued.

"Yes, roughly six feet by five feet in size and displaying the same symbol that adorns his chest. We've already taken samples to the lab and might have some results by morning."

"That's not good enough Carter. I want the report on my desk guaranteed and the vault door delivered to the facility by morning," Lex ordered angrily.

"Certainly sir. Furthermore, the target ignored members of the press and their questions. He stated he didn't want fame or money but just to make the citizens of Metropolis safe."

"Interesting. And did you make sure that any quotations they collected will not be printed tomorrow and any evidence proving the event even happened at all will be destroyed?"

"Yes sir, nothing but your announcement to run for vice presidency will run on the front page tomorrow," Carter promised his boss.

"Excellent. Is there anything else you wish to tell me Carter?"

"No, nothing sir," Carter finished before pausing. "What do you think his intentions-"

"-I don't pay you to hypothesise with me Carter. I pay you to do my bidding and unless you get everything I ask you to do done by tomorrow morning, you will be nothing but an inconvenient sack of meat and skin to me that I have to dispose of. Do you understand?" Lex interrupted and threatened.

"Received and understood sir. Good night," Carter whimpered before hanging up.

Lex placed the receiver back on its handset and rose from his chair to pour himself a scotch._ What does Superman want? There's no one on Earth who doesn't want power, money and maybe fame. There has to be a hidden agenda. One thing is certain, he will bring this great city nothing but trouble. Distracting them from what is important in their __lives, making them feel inferior. The press were ready to print him on the front page despite the fact that Lex Luthor, a man from their own city, was running for vice presidency. Have they forgotten everything I've done for this great Metropolis? It's time to end this nonsense. I need to speak to him._

Lex turned suddenly to grab at his telephone once again but stopped as his doors opened and Lana Lang entered once again. "Hey darling, how are you doing?" She asked quietly, in low and sexual tones. The girl from Smallville was dressed in dark purple lingerie, carefully covered up by a woollen shawl that didn't actually hide very much.

"I'm Ok honey, bit tired," Lex's demeanour completely changed as he put on the mask that he had mastered. It was one of love and affection, something he had never felt in his short life, and it had become so convincing, it had become one of the reasons Lana had married him. It was how he had beaten Clark Kent to the girl of his dreams.

_Are you going to ask me how I am? _Lana made her way over to her husband before perching on his desk and kissing him. "Come to bed then, I promise to make it worth your while."

Lex couldn't help but admire his wife in the sexy underwear but he had other things on his mind. His patience had grown thin and he needed to take action now. "I'd love to honey but I have to make one last conference call to China before I hit the hay," Lex explained, purposely using the lovey dovey language that his companion loved. "I promise I'll be no more than twenty minutes, I'll see you in there."

"Ok," Lana replied, slinking back off the desk and making her way towards the glass doors once again. "I'll see you in there. Don't keep me waiting," she winked and dropped her shawl on the ground as a reminder to her husband of what he had been missing.

Lex realised that he should probably make more of an effort with his wife. They hadn't been together for months. This was quickly swept aside as he reached for his phone once more and dialled. "Yes, it's Luthor, give me Dr Ryan," Lex instructed, tapping on his desk with his fingers as he waited to be patched through.

"What can I do for you Mr Luthor?" Asked an anxious Dr Ryan. He hoped that the earlier meeting with Metallo had satified his boss enough so that he didn't hear from him in a while. Apparently not.

"Prepare Metallo for launch, I want him to be operational by noon tomorrow," Lex commanded.

After a brief moments hesitation, the doctor responded. "He's too dangerous. He's unpredictable. There's no telling what he would do if anything went wrong."

"**I don't care**," Lex slowed down as he emphasised the point. "Can you make it happen or will there be an error in Metallo's computer chip that will result in the death of your wife?"

"It's possible, Mr Luthor," admitted a deflated voice on the other end. Lex smiled.

"Let's get to work then."

Three hours later, Lex opened the door to his bedroom that was hidden behind many of the doors in his office. A sleeping Lana lay on one side and once he had stripped himself of his suit and donned some clothes more associated with rest, he joined her. She didn't stir but the billionaire noticed that she had got changed out of her lingerie and into sweatpants and a t-shirt. She had obviously given up, seeing that she wasn't his priority right now. Shame that it was unlikely she ever would be again.

xxXxx

Chloe woke to the smell of waffles and coffee and immediately knew something was wrong. She sat bolt upright and listened, half hoping that the Green Arrow had returned to make her breakfast again but instead was treated to Whitesnake. Pulling back the covers and dropping from her slightly heightened bed (the petite blonde liked the feeling of jumping into comfort at night), Chloe shuffled across her room and peered around her door.

Lois stood at the breakfast bar, fully dressed and ready for action, serving up the last of a small batch of waffles. She turned towards the bedroom door and grinned at her cousin, who had a look of shock on her face. "Morning sleepy head, fancy some waffles?"

"What are you doing Lois?" asked Chloe, stepping into the kitchen and rubbing her gluey eyes. She felt slightly underdressed in a baggy tank top and bottoms next to her cousin in stilettos and a dress to kill. At seven am, it was impressive: especially for Lois. Despite growing up as an army brat- she had always struggled with early mornings.

"Making waffles. Is that alright with you?"

"Yeah of course," Chloe managed in reply, perching on one of the bar stools than adorned the kitchen's breakfast bar. "It's just I'm normally the one making breakfast while you lie in bed practically hosting a morning talk show with yourself as the only guest."

Lois slid a plate of waffle and assorted fruit along the smooth bar and Chloe almost missed it as it sped across the surface. "Hey, most of the guys I date say it's adorable."

"Apart from the poor bloke you dumped mid slumber," Chloe laughed at the memory of the hunky policeman leaving in anger while Lois slept on.

"If your subconscious decides to let someone go, he probably wasn't the one." Lois mused, taking a bite of her own breakfast. "Moving away from my love life, who's got you smiling this morning? Better not be Queen. Not sure Uncle Sam would approve of your playboy boyfriend."

"What do you mean what's got me smiling? I'm perfectly pleasant in the morning," Chloe defended herself, trying weakly to move the conversation away from Oliver Queen and her love life that was completely taken by a certain Emerald Archer.

"Chloe I love you, but you never smile in the morning until you have had caffeine pumping through your veins for at least ten minutes. And I recognise your smitten face from the sickening look you had after dating Photoboy for all of a month. You fall in love fast but never fully shown it and I demand to know who the lucky man is," Lois ranted incessantly.

"That's Jimmy you're talking about and I'd watch it if I were you, he's the only photographer who'll work with you after a year working at the Planet," Chloe warned.

"That's true," Lois mused, "none of them are willing to rush into danger as much as I am."

"I think Jimmy's more scared of how you would react if he refused to accompany Mad Dog Lane rather than any scenario you would eventually drag him into," Chloe teased, drawing a mock shock look from Lois. Everything suddenly clicked for the blonde. "Superman! That's why you're up early. You don't want to miss him again."

Lois' mouth dropped open to defend herself before closing it. "Guess that's why they say you're one of the best. I just don't want to miss the scoop of the century that's all."

"You know I'm the best, there's no need to prove it," Chloe smirked picking up her now empty plates and balancing it carefully on the rest of the dishes dumped in the sink. The cousins were too busy to be domestic goddesses. "Very professional of you," she turned back to her roommate and stared her right in the eyes, "it's got nothing to do with the date that he took you on Sunday?"

For the first time in a long time, Chloe saw Lois blush as she also put her plate on the stack. "How did this turn from my interrogation to being questioned myself?"

"She finally admits she does interrogate us," Chloe cried happily. It had been something they had bickered about since time began.

"Don't start that up again," Lois warned lightly. "So it turns out even little cuz isn't immune to the Queen charm, despite insisting that you didn't like him and never would."

"I don't like Oliver Queen and his charm is none existent," lied Chloe, to herself and to Lois.

"Then where were you when we all went for drinks last night? You're not one to miss it, even if it is just to look after me. Were you with him?"

"No," the blonde replied quickly, vaguely telling the truth. She moved into her room to collect clothes that she would dress herself in after her morning shower. "I was here."

"I can tell you're lying Chloe, don't deny it," Lois smirked.

"Okay okay, he was cute. Ruggedly handsome in a way I'm not normally into. But do you seriously think I'd be the kind of girl to sleep with him after one night?" Chloe glared at her fellow reporter, defying her to continue with her implications. It was a look that had become feared across the political spectrum in Metropolis.

"No of course not. You would never let him do that. But he might just be the bit of fun you need. A fling just to shake you to the core," Lois winked, "just harmless, dangerous and attractive people coming together with little or no control over the future of the relationship."

Chloe thought of the Green Arrow and almost laughed. Lois had described the hole they had dug themselves into. He did shake her to the core; but when you can't even put a name nor a face to the man who dominated your thoughts and made you feel properly alive for the first time in a long time, it doesn't bode well for the relationship. "No chance Lois."

"Fine, but don't get jealous when Superman comes and sweeps me off my feet. Blue eyes to kill and a six pack and bulge to rock my world!" Lois laughed as her cousin shifted around her to get to the bathroom.

_Lucky Clark... _"I need a shower just to wash the dirty thoughts off me," Chloe joked, opening the door.

"You'll still ask for all of the details later," Lois teased. "I'll see you at work later."

Chloe sighed in relief as she rested her head on the back of the door, listening to her best friend and closest relative leave. _Why is it so much easier to lie about aliens than it is about the man you're really into?_

xxXxx

An hour and a half later, Chloe was washed, dressed and made up and was making her way out the lift to meet Clark. She had had time to quickly produce a birth certificate and held it out to him without saying anything to him. The farm boy turned reporter looked at it briefly before hugging his best friend. "Morning, you ok?"

"Are you trying to tell me something Clark?" Chloe asked, her right eyebrow taking to the skies.

"No, it's just with all my rushing about I sometimes forget to make sure the people I love are ok. And you look really tired," Clark defended himself.

"I'm good thanks, just didn't get to sleep last night. Tossing and turning," Chloe summed up, as they rounded the corner and ducked into the coffee shop she went in nearly every morning. The petite blonde practically kept it running.

"Oliver Queen keeping you up?" Clark laughed, knowing that it was unlikely.

"Have you been speaking to Lois?" Chloe questioned, slightly worried by how transparent she seemed to be.

"No. Don't tell me she's asking the same questions as me," Clark rebuffed.

"What do you think? It's Lois we're talking about," Chloe shot back, before ordering her favourite coffee and a black coffee for Clark. "She was talking a lot about Superman though. Even got up early to see him." Chloe turned back to her best friend, leant against the barista's bar and winked at him. "How is the man struggling to compete?"

"I'm fine," Clark glowered, slightly annoyed at the reminder that Lois preferred his alter-ego rather than himself. "I've got something to talk to you about that actually."

"Ok, let's just get this order in and then I'll help you out. I'm dying for some caffeine; I haven't had any for at least an hour."

"Maybe that's why you're not sleeping," Clark suggested, reaching out and taking the coffee off the barista that had just called him to collect it.

"Along with the million other things that bounce around at the speed of light in my head all night long," Chloe countered, reiterating her argument that she had given to countless of people that had tried to help her combat her insomnia. It was a shame she couldn't tell most of them that it was late nights working for Superheroes that actually kept her awake at night, never mind the fact that she constantly analysed matters in bed anyway. "Even if they invented a patch to cure the caffeine addiction, I'd still drink this liquid gold."

"There's no doubting that," Clark agreed as the walked out the shop and up the road towards their workplace.

"How are you anyway? Everything going alright?"

"Yeah, Clark Kent couldn't be better. It's Superman who I'm worried about," Clark said, his forehead creasing up.

_Remember when you were weirdly into that look? _Chloe shock herself from her nostalgic thoughts. _That's what those feelings are, old news... _"Wow you're really taking this duel identity to heart aren't you?"

"Something about protecting the people I love. I'm sure you've heard it before," Clark grinned.

"What's wrong then?"

"After I took Lois back to your place, I stopped a bank robbery. Only I didn't really have to stop anything. There was no one trying to take the money apart from a few homeless people. No criminal activity apart from the explosives that exposed a ridiculous amount of money. Then I was ambushed by every member of the press apart from the Daily Planet, forcing all kinds of questions about fame and money on me. But I checked this morning, there's nothing. No one has written a thing about Superman, the bank or anything. It's as though someone was testing Superman; trying to see if he's as honourable as he claims to be," Chark finished, just as they made there way through the doors of the Daily Planet.

"I promise I'll look into it. It sounds suspicious; someone's trying to set you up," Chloe offered, counting up the long list of things she had to do that day in her head. It was starting to get a little long for her liking. Walking up to the reception, the pair pressed their press passes onto the reader to log themselves into work and Chloe smiled at the gay man that stood in front of her. "Morning Lou, how's it going?"

"I'm top, as always. What's got Lois up so early? When I saw her this morning I thought I'd taken one of those funny pills again..." Lou laughed.

"I think Superman's on the mind," Chloe answered cryptically. "Any memos for us?"

"Not for you, just the normal deadline for the Queen piece. Mr Kent's been called up to the Chief's office. Is Oliver as cute as the pictures preach?"

"Do you know what it abo-?" Clark started but was interrupted by Lou placing his hand on the mild mannered reporter's jacket and continuing his stare at Chloe.

"I wouldn't know Lou," Chloe smiled, knowing that her vague answer would drive Lou mad.

"Why is it that you're the only person in this building that I don't know anything about and won't give me anything juicy; especially someone like Queen," Lou mock moaned.

"If I did I don't think you'd talk to me anymore," Chloe laughed as she walked away towards the lift.

"How was Chief when he called for me?" a nervous Clark asked.

"Let's just say he's already into double figures on the Caesar's Ghost front," Lou joked, turning away to return to whatever he was doing.

Clark took a deep breath and ran forward for the lift.

xxXxx

Chloe had just arrived in her office and booted her computer up when she got the call. It wasn't a number she or her phone recognised, which was odd, but that didn't stop her from answering without hesitating. "Good morning you're speaking to Chloe Sullivan at the Daily Planet." Unlike her cousin, Chloe liked to think her answer was professional and friendly.

"Very formal Chloe," came a young man's voice from the end. "It's hot."

Chloe gave a fake laugh. It was Craig- her contact at the lab that she had flirted with in order to get the Green Arrow's hair sample back faster. "Morning Craig, how are you?"

"All the better from hearing your voice sweet cheeks," sneered Craig from the opposite end of the line. Chloe was struggling to hold back from calling him a pig.

"Is there any reason that you called or are you just doing a very good job at distracting me from my job?" Chloe falsely flirted.

"I got the feeling that you wanted a certain set of results back as soon as possible when we spoke yesterday," Craig teased, relishing holding something over her head.

"Have you got the results?" Chloe asked directly. She was bored of him already and was not prepared to take his bullshit any longer.

"I wanted to ask you why you are getting this hair sample tested?"

"What happened to patient/doctor confidentiality?" Chloe fired back, her brain scrambling for an answer.

"I'm not a doctor and that definitely isn't how this works. Just tell me Chloe," Craig answered. His voice seemed false, like he was playing with her.

"He broke into my house and I'm trying to find out who it is," Chloe lied, slightly.

"I highly doubt that considering who it is," Craig laughed. Now Chloe was really getting annoyed.

"Tell me Craig, this isn't funny," Chloe warned.

"I have to put something down on the charts."

"He's the Wizard of Oz and I went all the way down the yellow brick road just to find out who he really is," Chloe replied sarcastically.

"Fine, my shredder hasn't been used in a while," Craig drawled.

"I slept with him," Chloe shot out before she had really thought it through. "It was a one night stand. I was very drunk and I was hoping to find out who he was."

"Oh," Craig managed. He sounded disappointed. There was a pause. "Well in that case I won't ask you out then."

Chloe steeled herself against the implication and gritted her teeth. "Who is he Craig?" she ground out.

"I didn't mean it like that, don't worry. We all have itches to scratch," Craig apologised, back to his cocky self.

"His name Craig."

"You're never gonna look at a bloke like me again after this."

"His name dammit," Chloe shouted down the phone.

"The hair was a 99% match with Star City's Most eligible bachelor, although you could say Metropolis' man now," Craig mused.

"I don't read that crap Craig, just give me his name," Chloe managed, struggling to contain herself.

"I feel like I'm a gameshow host," Craig started but quickly stopped at the sound of Chloe breathing in quickly to attack him verbally again. "Your man's called Oliver Queen. Only the best for you Sullivan."

Chloe almost dropped her phone. "Goodbye Craig," she forced out in an almost whisper as she hung up. _Her Green Arrow was Oliver Queen..._

Suddenly the room lit up and what seemed to be the world's whole supply of glass flew across the room. Luckily Chloe had been standing in frustration while talking to Craig and had slumped against her metal filing cabinet in shock at hearing the news. It had protected her from the deadly shards. She moved rapidly to see a man flying above the wreckage of the building opposite which was engulfed in green fire. He radiated the colour and his voice appeared to be amplified.

"Superman. Try and stop me as I tear the city which you supposedly love so much apart in revenge for what you did to me and my family." Not that Chloe knew this fully, but Metallo had arrived.

xxXxx

**Author's note: Hello everyone and thank you for waiting. You have been very patient and I really am grateful for it. I had an awful case of writer's block and I'm trying to cram all my summer work into a very short space of time! But I'm back now...**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter. Lex is slowly becoming the villain we know and love/hate and what a morning it's been for Chloe. From some gentle banter with her room mate to finding out the identity of the Green Arrow. Not to mention almost being killed by Metallo! Yes, he's finally arrived but I'm afraid it may be a while before we see some real Supes/Metallo brawling. I am awful to you guys I know...**

**Onto the people I love: reviewers! Anne, thank you so much for reviewing. I'm sorry for the wait but at least Chloe knows who her man is now. A little Chlollie might have to wait but when it comes, it'll be fantastic as the couple is so strong. Flpirate30, oh my god, you are amazing. Two reviews of ridiculous length. You spoil me! Don't worry about rl as it's creeping up on me too. Doesn't it know we have other things to do! haha thank you again for the support and the time you take to write your reviews. Sorry about the irony, I can't help it- I'm English haha Thank you for recognising Oliver is a human and Chloe is going to be a massive help in his development in becoming the best hero he can. You're welcome for the shout out, I felt as though you deserved it! It's certainly hotting up. Moving on, I loved America and i would love to live there one day. Where abouts? It was a big culture shock in loads of weird ways haha and you guys LOVE the accent :) I have a feeling Ollie's had a bit of practise at being caught ;) Lot's more to come don't worry. And finally, Davrosfan, thank for the support and what we have been talking about is being worked on so don't worry. I am super busy atm, sorry! **

**If anyone has any suggestions for other stories or what you would like to see in this one then please let me know! Other than that, thank you for your time and support and I hope to see you soon. Cheers!**


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